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Scott Moe didn’t mask his feelings Friday.
While discussing Saskatchewan’s latest COVID-19 numbers with reporters, the premier referred to a conference call he had had Thursday with Canada’s other premiers, as well as a second call the premiers had with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.
One of the topics discussed was the equipment needed by health-care workers on the frontlines of Canada’s battle with the coronavirus.
“The availability of personal protective equipment is a discussion that is more urgent today after the reckless direction of the Trump administration, (the) direction they gave for 3M to cease shipping N95 masks to Canada,” Moe said. “This decision is nothing short of a betrayal of our two great nations’ shared history of working together in times of need.”
President Donald Trump told 3M — a Minnesota-based manufacturer — to stop shipping N95 masks to Canada, demanding that all scarce medical supplies remain in the United States.
That didn’t sit well with Moe.
“Canada and the United States of America have long been each other’s closest allies and closest partners and under the leadership of numerous presidents, the United States has been here to support our country. And throughout history, Canada has supported our neighbour to the south through times of war (and) terror and times of economic crisis,” he said.
“In this time of a pandemic, it is even more important that our nations strengthen our resolve to work together to fight this unseen enemy, this enemy that we call COVID-19.”
Moe said he had spoken to the governors of some states and planned to make calls to other governors, urging them to tell the Trump administration that the order should be reversed.
“As the residents of our countries self-isolate, our nations must not,” Moe said.
The demand for masks is likely to increase now that the Centers for Disease Control in the U.S., has recommended that more people wear facial protection when they go outside.
Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, doesn’t believe residents of this province need to follow suit.
Shahab mentioned that masks have proven to be effective in some situations, especially in countries with larger populations in relatively small areas. In Saskatchewan, however, he believes physical distancing will be just as effective.
“(For) all the people I watch walking around maintaining that two-metre separation, mask use will not make a difference in our setting,” Shahab said. “We have abundant open spaces. We have quiet streets and, in these settings, mask use doesn’t make a difference. It’s maintaining that physical distance.”
Moe noted that he’d like to see Canada manufacture more PPE on its own to limit the impact of decisions like those made by Trump on Friday. Moe said the premiers are discussing opportunities to do so while also discussing the sharing of equipment.
“We are one nation and we do have provinces that are short of supplies today and tomorrow,” Moe said. “So we did have a discussion about how we procure PPE equipment with our national government as a nation (and about) how we share that as it comes in, ensuring that the areas that need it get it — and understanding that at some point in time that would be Saskatchewan as well.”
