Aurora Cannabis Donates Coronavirus Masks
Edmonton Facility Gives 200 Coronavirus Masks to AHS – LPC
Aurora Cannabis has stepped up during the COVID-19 outbreak, donating 200 coronavirus masks to Alberta Health Services (AHS). The N95 masks, as they are officially called, are an important part of medical equipment for healthcare works. Not only do they filtrate the smallest particles out of the air including coronavirus, they are designed to have a tight fit around the mouth.
Rick Savone, Aurora’s senior vice-president of global government relations, said the company wants to support frontline healthcare workers. This donation of coronavirus masks is one way to help.
“We’re part of the community in Edmonton and in communities across Canada,” Savone said. He added that the company discussed needs with different governments to find out the best way Aurora could help. “We’re as concerned as anybody about what is going on and feel we need to do our part.”
Many health systems around the world suffer from a shortage of coronavirus masks. In Alberta, some nurses refused to test patients for coronavirus because they did not have an N95 mask. The donation will help protect health workers there.
“I don’t want to call them donations because I feel like it’s just doing our part. So there’s going to be more of that,” said Savone.
Aurora Said Donation is Sign of Things to Come – LPC
Savone said the donation of the coronavirus masks doesn’t stop there. Aurora is actively looking for other ways to help, he said.
“There’s a lot of different equipment that we use throughout our facilities. We’ve got researchers and scientists and manufacturing,” said Savone. “I know that we heard from health officials that they were looking for those N95 masks so we mustered up what we could.”
Aurora, like much of the cannabis industry, has had its ups and downs this year. Last fall, the company had to dump cannabis due to oversupply. Recently, Aurora was one of 71 licensed producers that signed a letter to the Canadian government asking for cannabis aid.
But to say donating these coronavirus masks is purely a publicity stunt would be cynical. We prefer to see it as the heart of a Canadian companies coming through. Even though Aurora is facing hardship with more to come during the COVID-19 outbreak, it still stepped up with a donation they didn’t have to make. There is something admirable in that.
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