TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th April, 2020) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday said that limiting the flow of essential goods and personnel across the US-Canada border is a mistake after the United States blocked the export of COVID-19 equipment.
"It would be a mistake to create blockages or reduce the amount of back and forth of essential goods and services, including medical goods across our border, that is the point we are making very clearly to the American administration right now," Trudeau said during a daily briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Friday, American manufacturing giant 3M warned of consequences and retaliatory tactics against the United States, should the Trump administration continue to limit export of personal protective equipment intended for frontline medical professionals abroad.
On Thursday, the Trump administration formally invoked the Defense Production Act (DPA) to require 3M to prioritize orders from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for N95 respirators.
This development follows news on Thursday that a shipment of equipment destined for Canada was diverted to the United States.
The N95 respirator mask is crucial piece of equipment, especially for healthcare workers treating infected patients, because it contains a filter that removes the coronavirus from air breathed by the user.
