Skip to Main content

18.26°^C Vancouver

News Entertainment Sports Videos Shows Podcast Contact Us

Mar 20, 2020 4:35 PM -

Feds boost efforts to secure medical gear supplies as COVID-19 cases multiply

Share On

feds-boost-efforts-to-secure-medical-gear-supplies-as-covid-19-cases-multiply

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listens to a question on a teleconference as reporters call in to ask questions during a news conference at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Thursday, March 19, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

The federal government is unveiling a plan to have companies quickly produce supplies of needed medical equipment to cope with the rapidly multiplying cases of COVID-19 across Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the plan will provide support to manufacturers that want to retool their assembly lines to build ventilators, masks and other personal protective gear.

And it will also help those already producing the products to quickly scale up.

Ottawa has been working in close collaboration with provinces and territories, who deliver health care, to determine where gaps exist in the system and to try to fill them before they become a significant problem.

Trudeau also says that the government is in discussions with airline to repatriate Canadians who are overseas, and the first flight will leave this weekend from Morocco.

Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand, and Industry Minister Navdeep Bains are to provide more details at a briefing this afternoon.

Latest news

canada-eu-to-forge-a-new-strategic-partnership-geneviève-tuts

CanadaSep 09, 2026

Canada-EU to Forge a New Strategic Partnership: Geneviève Tuts

European Union Ambassador to Canada Geneviève Tuts has revealed that the EU and Ottawa are working toward an unprecedented strategic partnership. Her comments come ahead of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s planned address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, next week. Carney has been invited to speak as a non-European leader. According to Tuts, the proposed trade and strategic framework will be part of the broader security and economic alliance Carney highlighted last month. She said the partnership would be distinct from the EU’s existing agreements with countries such as Switz

bc-forestry-sector-urges-urgent-action-writes-to-premier-eby

BC Forestry Sector Urges Urgent Action, Writes to Premier Eby

Major organizations representing British Columbia’s forestry sector have written to Premier David Eby, calling for immediate action to address the growing crisis in the province’s forest industry. The BC Council of Forest Industries, BC Wood and the United Steelworkers jointly sent a letter to the provincial government this month, urging Premier Eby to establish a Forestry Crisis Action Group under his leadership. The groups said B.C.’s forestry sector is at a critical crossroads. While acknowledging that international trade pressures are beyond the direct control of the provincial gover

CanadaSep 09, 2026

Canada Eases Study Rules for Temporary Foreign Workers, Allows Up to 6 Months of Study Without Permit

The Canadian government has announced a temporary measure allowing eligible temporary foreign workers already in the country to study for up to six months without applying for a study permit. The initiative is aimed at helping workers upgrade their skills, obtain short-term training and pursue professional licensing while continuing to work. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the measure will particularly benefit workers in high-demand fields, including nurses, laboratory technicians and skilled tradespeople. The government says the move is intended to help addr

CanadaSep 09, 2026

Tariff War Could Push Up Prices at Canadian Retail Stores

Canadian shoppers could see higher prices at retail stores as the ongoing tariff war begins to affect newly imported goods. However, retailers say the impact may take some time to reach store shelves as businesses first work through inventory purchased before the latest tariffs came into effect. Matt Poirier of the Retail Council of Canada said products with short shelf lives or those that sell quickly are likely to see price increases first. This could be followed by slower-moving items such as ovens and washing machines as retailers replenish their stock with tariff-affected products. Canad

85-year-old-man-killed-by-stray-bullet-in-burnaby-apartment

85-Year-Old Man Killed by Stray Bullet in Burnaby Apartment

An 85-year-old man was killed after being struck by a stray bullet inside his apartment in Burnaby. According to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT), the body of Chang Yong Cho was found on Aug. 30 inside his apartment in the 7400 block of Kingsway. Police had received reports of a shooting in a nearby block at around 1:30 a.m. Later that day, at approximately 4 p.m., Burnaby RCMP received a call requesting a welfare check at the apartment, where Cho was found dead from a gunshot wound. Investigators said shots were fired during a dispute between a group of young people. One of t

Related News

Canada-EU to Forge a New Strategic Partnership: Geneviève Tuts

Canada-EU to Forge a New Strategic Partnership: Geneviève Tuts

European Union Ambassador to Canada Geneviève Tuts has revealed that the EU and Ottawa are working toward an unprecedented strategic partnership. Her comments come ahead of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s planned address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, next week. Carney has been invited to speak as a non-European leader. According to Tuts, the proposed trade and strategic framework will be part of the broader security and economic alliance Carney highlighted last month. She said the partnership would be distinct from the EU’s existing agreements with countries such as Switz

Canada Eases Study Rules for Temporary Foreign Workers, Allows Up to 6 Months of Study Without Permit

Canada Eases Study Rules for Temporary Foreign Workers, Allows Up to 6 Months of Study Without Permit

The Canadian government has announced a temporary measure allowing eligible temporary foreign workers already in the country to study for up to six months without applying for a study permit. The initiative is aimed at helping workers upgrade their skills, obtain short-term training and pursue professional licensing while continuing to work. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the measure will particularly benefit workers in high-demand fields, including nurses, laboratory technicians and skilled tradespeople. The government says the move is intended to help addr

Tariff War Could Push Up Prices at Canadian Retail Stores

Tariff War Could Push Up Prices at Canadian Retail Stores

Canadian shoppers could see higher prices at retail stores as the ongoing tariff war begins to affect newly imported goods. However, retailers say the impact may take some time to reach store shelves as businesses first work through inventory purchased before the latest tariffs came into effect. Matt Poirier of the Retail Council of Canada said products with short shelf lives or those that sell quickly are likely to see price increases first. This could be followed by slower-moving items such as ovens and washing machines as retailers replenish their stock with tariff-affected products. Canad

Legals

Journalism code of ethics

© 2021 AKASH Broadcasting Inc.

MANAGED BY STRATWIT

useful links

Accessibility Plan

Broadcasting Notice of Consultation

BC Children's Hospital