Ventilators: how many does P.E.I. have, and how many are we expecting?

At least 37 ventilators are expected to arrive on P.E.I. in the coming months, according to the Island's chief of nursing.

Ventilators are used to assist with breathing for those who have been hospitalized and are suffering from the most severe symptoms of COVID-19.

• What is a ventilator and who gets one if COVID-19 turns catastrophic in Canada?

Late last month, Marion Dowling said that 26 new ventilators were headed to P.E.I., as part of the province's access to the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile[NESS].

This week, she said the federal government was now prioritizing allocation of ventilators to regions with significant numbers of hospitalizations but that a portion of those initially offered to the Island are still destined for P.E.I.

"We have gotten some information from [National Emergency Strategic Stockpile]that at least 10 of those will be coming our way soon and are getting prepared to be shipped to us," said Dowling.

"So they have not arrived yet, but we now understand that that, at least, will be our initial support from that group."

More ventilators ordered, from other sources

Dowling said this is in addition to 15 ventilatorsthe province is looking to purchase through a federal government bulk purchase order.It's unclear when those are expected to be delivered.

Those are inaddition to 12 ventilators that have already been ordered from the province's regular vendor. Dowling said she expects delivery of those in the next month.

Once all of these ventilators have been delivered to P.E.I., the number available on the Island will increase to at least 56. Last month Dowling reported there were 19 ventilators ready for use in the province: 15 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown, and four at the Prince County Hospital in Summerside.

At the time, Dowling said that is four to five times the ventilators normally required by Health PEI.

"Even if we were running our regular operations, we would have the capacity for ventilator services beyond and above what we would normally need," Dowling said at the time.

It is unclear where the new ventilators will be deployed upon arrival.

As of April 12P.E.I. has not had any hospitalizations related to COVID-19.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced plans to support Canadian companies with the speedy production of additional ventilators with the goal of producing 30,000 of them as soon as possible.

COVID-19: What you need to know

What are the symptoms ofCOVID-19?

Common symptoms include:

• Fever.
• Cough.
• Tiredness.

But more serious symptoms can develop, including difficulty breathing and pneumonia, which can lead to death.

What should I do if I feel sick?

Isolate yourself andcall your local public health authority. Do not visit an emergency room or urgent care centre to get tested.

How can I protect myself?

• Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Be aware ofevolving travel advisoriesto different regions.

More detailed information on the outbreak is available on thefederal government's website.

More COVID-19 stories from CBC P.E.I.