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BC  

Store displays featuring medical masks and gowns not helpful

Sending the wrong message?

SafeCare BC and other organizations working to gather personal protective equipment for healthcare workers have confirmed that masks being sold at some Vancouver Canadian Tire stores are in fact the type that healthcare workers desperately need.

Vancouver dentists Alex Rosenczweig and Farzan Ghannad shared their concerns that these are exactly the types of items that need to be in the hands of our health care professionals, CTV Vancouver reports.

“We currently receive multiple requests on a daily basis from organizations stating that their supplies are critically low, which means that they’re looking at three days or fewer of supplies,” Jennifer Lyle, CEO of SafeCare BC, told CTV News Vancouver.

The same stores have come under fire for large displays showing off masks and other essential protective wear.

The president of the B.C. Nurses' Union, Christine Sorensen, says the need for medical-grade protective equipment is at a critical point in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If people have medical-grade supplies that we can use in the health care system, it’s critical that those are donated — given to the health care system,” Sorensen said.

CTV News Vancouver tried repeatedly for comment from Canadian Tire, but as of Tuesday, did not receive a response.

However, Lyle also admitted that there are smaller home care providers who rely on retailers like Canadian Tire to get their equipment.

-with files from CTV News Vancouver and the Canadian Press



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