QUEBEC CITY -- The Quebec government announced Thursday that it has awarded Quebec company AMD Medicom a contract to acquire N95 type respirators and level three surgical masks over a 10-year period.

Minister of Health and Social Services Christian Dube said in a news release that Medicom will supply 20 million N95 masks and 66 million level-three surgical masks annually.

The government estimates that this $330 million contract will help Quebec increase its autonomy in the supply of essential equipment to face the COVID-19 crisis and future health crises.

The unit price of the products may however be renegotiated after a period of three years, and adjusted according to the variation in the cost of the raw material.

Medicom claims that its N95 respirators reduce wearer exposure to particles, including small aerosol particles and large droplets. They provide a reliable level of respiratory protection by filtering out at least 95 per cent of small and large airborne particles.

Dube believes that signing this contract with the Pointe-Claire-based AMD Medicom will allow long-term supply that is both affordable and local.

The contract will expire on July 31, 2030. The Department of Health and Social Services would assume the cost of purchasing the products out of its operating budget.

-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2021.