Government of Canada partners with Amazon to help get personal protective equipment to front‑line healthcare workers

GATINEAU, QC, April 3, 2020 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is working closely with businesses and manufacturers nationwide to provide healthcare workers with the equipment they need to protect themselves and care for Canadians across the country.

Today, the Government of Canada announced it has entered into an agreement with Amazon Canada to help manage the distribution of personal protective equipment and supplies, purchased by the government, to support the COVID-19 response. Amazon is providing these services to Canadians at cost, without profit.

Amazon will work collaboratively with the Government of Canada to process and manage orders through its online Amazon Business store. Amazon will use its Canadian distribution network, including delivery partners Canada Post and Purolator, to deliver these supplies to provincial health authorities, hospitals and other government agencies across the country.

This agreement will ensure the vast quantities of masks, gloves and other equipment purchased by the government are provided to front-line healthcare workers and others in need as quickly as possible.

This contract award is part of the Government of Canada's whole-of-government response to COVID-19, which includes major investments in personal protective equipment for the health sector, as well as research, science and innovation.

Quotes                                                                          

"The government is taking an aggressive, proactive procurement approach to ensure our front-line healthcare workers have the equipment they need. To date, we have already made a number of bulk purchases to secure key items like masks and ventilators, which are in high global demand. This partnership with Amazon, with support from Canada Post and Purolator, will help to ensure that these life-saving products make it into the hands of healthcare workers across the country as quickly as possible."

The Honourable Anita Anand
Minister of Public Services and Procurement

"As we continue to work hard to increase our production and procure essential personal protective equipment and medical supplies, this collaboration with Amazon will help get them as quickly as possible to the hospitals and healthcare professionals who need them."

The Honourable Patty Hajdu
Minister of Health                                      

Quick facts

• Amazon will use its Canadian distribution network, including Canada Post and Purolator, to deliver supplies to provincial health authorities, hospitals and other government agencies across the country.
• On March 31, the Government of Canada announced it is investing $2 billion to support diagnostic testing and to purchase ventilators and protective personal equipment, including bulk purchases with provinces and territories.
• The Government of Canada is collaborating with provinces and territories on an ongoing basis to identify their needs and to purchase the required equipment, supplies and services to combat COVID-19.
• We are taking an aggressive, proactive approach to buying, especially when it comes to personal protective equipment for front-line healthcare workers. This includes:
• placing orders for everything that is immediately available
• ordering ahead in bulk, with intermittent deliveries spread out over the coming weeks and months
• ramping up domestic manufacturing capacity, through the Plan to Mobilize Industry to fight COVID-19
• These initiatives are over and above the efforts provinces and territories are taking to secure their own supply.

Associated links
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Canada's response

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SOURCE Public Services and Procurement Canada