The Ministry of Health has confirmed it has ordered more personal protective equipment (PPE), including 41 million face masks, in order to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said while there is plenty of PPE currently available in New Zealand, the measure has been taken to ensure there remains enough stock for the duration of New Zealand's lockdown.
"Over the last seven days we have distributed 1.8 million masks to DHBs and the health and disability sector," Dr Bloomfield said.
"Last night, we confirmed an order for 41 million additional face masks that will start to arrive on Monday and continue to be delivered over the next six weeks.
"We have also placed an order for an additional 500,000 isolation gowns, 30,000 face shields and 50,000 goggles, which are scheduled to arrive over the coming weeks to ensure we maintain good stock levels."
Dr Bloomfield added measures are already being put in place for if the coronavirus pandemic and/or lockdown in New Zealand continues to be an issue after this month.
While the Government today promised more would be provided, some key workers fear they'll still miss out.
"We are also actively following up further channels for additional PPE, for example we are in negotiations to secure an additional 20 million masks per month from another supplier."
District Heath Boards are leading the distribution of face masks to health and disability providers within their own regions and are also working actively with their staff to ensure they have both access to PPE and clinical advice on its appropriate use, Dr Bloomfield added.
"For the past three days we have been meeting daily with a subgroup of health sector union representatives to help ensure accurate information is provided to the many health staff they represent about stocks of PPE which are available, as well as appropriate clinical advice about usage."
A Kiwi paramedic in New York told 1 NEWS yesterday medical personnel in the city have already begun resorting to garbage bags for gowns with PPE stocks almost empty already.
"We are running out of everything," Chez Valenta said.
Chez Valenta says medical personnel have already started resorting to rubbish bags as protective clothing with supplies running out.
"We are running out of gowns with which to perform high risk procedures. We are running out of masks themselves and even the surgical masks are becoming scarce.
"It's gotten to the point where we are starting to become creative. I've been to hospitals where nurses are wearing rubbish bags and that's probably going to be the same scenario for a lot of us really, really soon."
Other non-health essential services will receive PPE from the national distributor company NXP, a process which MBIE is leading, Mr Bloomfield says.
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