Toronto 
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Manitoba government has announced that it is planning to purchase up to one million made-in-Manitoba N95 reusable silicone masks.
In early April, the government issued an Expression of Interest to determine the interest and capability of manufacturers to complete the manufacturing of reusable N95 masks designed and refined by Manitobans Dr. Christian Petropolis and Dr. Adrian Robertson.
These masks for front-line health-care workers can be sterilized after use, allowing them to be reused up to 30 times.
After receiving proposals from across the province, Winnipeg-based Precision ADM was selected to finalize the design and produce it in Manitoba at a cost-competitive with similar masks produced overseas.
The Manitoba government has placed an initial order with Precision ADM for 500,000 of the masks, with an option to purchase an additional 500,000 masks over the next 14 months.
“As a physician, not only do I recognize the critical role our frontline workers have in meeting the health-care needs of Manitobans, they are also my friends, family and colleagues,” said Petropolis, a Winnipeg-based physician and surgeon who developed the design for this reusable mask. “In this time of need, I was happy that I could be of assistance in providing an option with this silicone mask. I have been incredibly impressed with the response of the province as this initiative would not have moved forward without the foresight in funding a locally developed and produced mask.”
