Millions of surgical masks have arrived in Canada from China, the federal government confirmed Monday.

The shipment comes at a time when front line medical workers dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic say there is a “real risk” of running out of personal protective equipment.

Here’s what we know about the shipment.

What did the shipment consist of?

According to Cecely Roy, press secretary for Anita Anand, the minister of public services and procurement, a flight landed in Toronto Monday morning containing millions of surgical masks that had been procured from Chinese suppliers, as well as gear that had been ordered separately by the provinces of Quebec and Nova Scotia.

How are the masks being distributed?

The hope is to deliver the masks to provinces and territories “as soon as possible” through a new distribution arrangement the government set up with Amazon and Canada Post, Roy said. But before that can happen, the masks need to be assessed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, she said.

Is there an issue with the masks?

Roy said there is nothing unique about this shipment. It is routine for health officials to check that items meet requirements before distributing them, she said. Health officials were unable to say how long it will take to assess the masks.

In recent days, international media reports have indicated problems with some masks manufactured in China, which has ramped up its production of medical supplies. According to the BBC, the Dutch health ministry announced it had recalled 600,000 face masks because they did not fit and their filters did not work, even though they had a quality certificate.

China said the manufacturer made clear the masks were non-surgical, news agency Agence France-Presse reported.

How dire is the need for masks in Canada?

“Even with all the measures that are being taken to ‘flatten the curve,’ we are still at real risk of using up all the supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE),” Dr. Atul Kapur, an emergency physician at The Ottawa Hospital and co-chair of the public affairs committee of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, wrote in an email. “So everything we can do to reduce the demand and increase the supply is vital, including this shipment.”

Kapur added: “From what we’re hearing, everyone is being careful about using PPE appropriately, in anticipation of increased need.”

If the masks are cleared for use, how will they be divvied up?

The Star asked federal health officials for a breakdown of needs by province, but they said they needed time to compile the information.

Why does Canada need to source masks from China and are there plans to import more?

Roy said China is a major mask-manufacturing hub, along with Europe and the United States.

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She said Ottawa is working on procuring more shipments from abroad but wasn’t able to provide further details Monday, citing the “fluidity” and “fragility” of the global supply chain.

She added that Canada is looking to boost its ability to produce medical equipment domestically, citing a recent announcement that Ottawa had signed contracts with three Canadian companies to ramp up production of surgical masks, testing kits and ventilators.

With files from Nicholas Keung

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