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By Brian Platt and Emily Jackson

OTTAWA — The federal government has announced a plan to help Canadian companies ramp up production of medical supplies needed to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.

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However, manufacturers are waiting on Ottawa to say exactly how many ventilators and tests it needs before any major increase in production.

“We are launching Canada’s plan to mobilize industry to fight COVID-19, to ensure that we can quickly produce here in Canada the things we need,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a news conference Friday morning.

“This initiative will help companies that are already making things like masks, ventilators and hand sanitizer to massively scale up production. It will also provide support to those who want to retool their manufacturing facilities to contribute to this fight.”

We’re focused on what we need to do right now

He added, “We recognize that the efforts that we are going through are unprecedented. These are historic times in which we need to do everything we can to support Canadians and mobilize all our efforts in smart ways.