Coronavirus: Donation campaign set up for protective equipment, supplies in Simcoe, Muskoka

A donation campaign has been set up to collect personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies for local health-care providers in Simcoe County and Muskoka amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are calling on our community to help ensure the supply of PPE and medical supplies meets the demand over the coming weeks,” Charles Gardner, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit’s medical officer of health, said in a statement.

Simcoe County, Muskoka District and the local health unit are looking for new and unused N95 and surgical masks, face shields, protective goggles or safety glasses, nitrile gloves, reusable or disposable gowns, medical thermometers, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes with a DIN number or bleach cleaner, and hand soap.

“We are facing a time of unparalleled pressure on our health-care system and it is essential our paramedic and long-term care services have access to the equipment and materials necessary to continue to provide the excellent services they are recognized for,” Muskoka District Chair John Klinck said in a statement.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, governments and health officials across Canada have stressed the need for more PPE since there are concerns regarding supply shortages.

Last week, Global News reported that at least two Toronto hospitals had started limiting face masks to front-line health-care workers, and on March 20, the federal government announced a plan to work with Canadian businesses and manufacturers to increase the production of PPE, ventilator and sanitization supplies.

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“Our front-line workers are doing amazing work to continue to care for us, respond to this crisis and help us to recover as quickly as possible,” Simcoe County Warden George Cornell said in a statement.

“If you can, please donate PPE to keep these amazing people healthy and safe.”

As of Tuesday morning, there have been 50 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Simcoe Muskoka, with four deaths. There have been 1,966 novel coronavirus cases in Ontario.

5:36 Some hospitals are locking up PPE which nurses need: Silas

— With files from Global News’ David Lao and Andrew Russell