In a bid to avert shortages of foreign-made medical gear due to COVID-19, Premier Doug Ford says Ontario manufacturers are stepping into the breach.

Ford on Tuesday touted a new locally made N96 respirator mask that is as good or better than 3M’s N95 masks in such high demand due to the pandemic.

“We can’t only rely on the global supply chain right now. We can’t count on other countries,” the premier told reporters at a Queen’s Park teleconference.

His comments came one day after Canada was granted a reprieve and will receive 3 million 3M N95 masks despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s embargo on such equipment.

On Monday, Ford had warned Trump’s controversial move could have led to Ontario having just a week’s supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) that can be life-saving for front-line health care workers.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed earlier in the day that 500,000 of the 3M masks would arrive here Wednesday.

But Ford said Canadian companies “need to keep building our own capacity.”

“We need to look after ourselves, we need to be self-sufficient,” stressed the premier, who did not give a timeline for when such autonomy could be achieved.

“Today, I visited Woodbridge’s manufacturing facility in Vaughan to receive the province’s first batch of personal protective equipment produced right here in Ontario,” he said.

“Woodbridge together with the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association has been working at an unprecedented pace to retool their factories and get the required approvals to manufacture masks for our front-line workers,” said Ford.

Indeed, the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association’s president Flavio Volpe has been criss-crossing the province in recent weeks to help firms retool to build vital gear to help in the fight against the pandemic.

“I was thrilled to see firsthand the fruition of their hard work and look forward to them ramping up production in the coming days to meet the demands of Ontario and soon other parts of the country,” the premier said

“As the world faces a global shortage of medical equipment, Ontario-based companies have stepped up in a big way in order to ensure our front-line workers are protected against COVID-19.Their hard work is a true testament to what Ontarians are capable of when we band together. “

Ford stressed that Queen’s Park and Ottawa are still striving “to pursue and exhaust every avenue available to secure the PPE needed to fight COVID-19.”

“(But) today marks the beginning of Ontario moving toward greater self-sufficiency on vital supplies that will keep us well equipped now and into the future.”

Over the weekend, Woodbridge received approval from Health Canada to begin manufacturing “ASTM Level 3” masks that are designed for medical procedures where moderate to heavy amounts of fluid, spray or aerosols are produced.

That certification means the Woodbridge mask has equal or greater than 98 per cent “bacterial filtration efficiency.”

The GTA firm is now seeking U.S. certification for its product, which will be manufactured in Vaughan and Kitchener.

On Monday night, 3M announced it had reached a deal with the White House to ensure that N95 masks could still be imported to Canada despite Trump’s prohibition.

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Ford and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland have been furiously lobbying American officials for days to seek an exemption for Canada from the president’s protectionist move.

On a lighter note Tuesday, the premier assured Ontario children that the Easter Bunny would be delivering chocolates this weekend despite the pandemic.

“I know this is so tough for the younger kids to explain … what’s going on right now,” said Ford, who signed a provincial order in council deeming the Easter Bunny an “essential service.”

“Kids have some simple things they’re worried about. They’re worried about the Tooth Fairy and they’re worried about the Easter Bunny,” he said, adding he was inspired by what New Zealand had done.

Under the order in council, the Easter Bunny “is an essential service provider and authorized to deliver Easter chocolate, candy and related treats to the children of Ontario.”

However, because of Ontario’s state of emergency, the Easter Bunny “shall not deliver treats in parks, playgrounds, and all other recreational amenities” that are closed.

Robert Benzie is the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie

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