MONTREAL -- Quebec's doctors, nurses and the families of frontline workers treating the COVID-19 epidemic are pleading with the Quebec government to find a way to restock the dwindling number of N95 masks.

The N95 is in short supply in hospitals across North America, with some doctors and nurses saying they've been forced to use a single mask all day and sometimes longer.

Guillaume Tardif, whose wife is an emergency room physician at the Lakeshore Hospital, said the Quebec government must get companies that use the masks to sell or donate their stock.

“Where I think we could make a difference is with reusable respirators,” he said. “Things that people who sanding, grinding, painting are used to using. A lot of large factories are shut down by decree. Their health and safety kiosks might have some stock of new, clean, reusable respirators and cartridges.”

Premier Francois Legault said he knows stocks are running low but the province is working with the federal government to ensure needs are met. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada does have enough supplies of the masks, with more coming.

Quebec Public Health Director Horacio Arruda called the masks a “crucial” resource and said measures will be taken to ensure the places that need them will have them.

“Now, because we want to make sure that the ones who need to have it, will have it. And if there is an issue with a hospital, tomorrow they won't get anymore masks for their ER, then we're going to take masks from another place and send them.”