Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House to respond to the question from the hon. member for Cypress Hills—Grasslands.
The government has focused on the health and safety of Canadians since the very beginning of this pandemic. This has been our most pressing issue, and I am sure all members would agree that this is a national priority.
Public Services and Procurement Canada is responsible for purchasing the PPE and supplies that will enable us to meet our needs now and in the future as the pandemic runs its course. To do that, we have set up new supply chains with domestic and foreign manufacturers in a highly competitive global market.
Along with acquiring billions of units of PPE, including masks, N95 respirators, face shields, hand sanitizer, protective gowns and gloves, we are also negotiating with international manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies to have tests, treatments and vaccines made widely available across Canada. I note that about 80% of the total value of contracts for personal protective equipment, medical equipment and supplies have been with Canadian companies that supply and distribute PPE.
In addition, we have engaged a large number of manufacturers from across the country. This has allowed us to increase our capacity to produce many of these essential products right here in Canada. In fact, approximately 40% of the total value of contracts is going to Canadian manufacturing companies, many of which were identified through call-outs issued by PSPC and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.
Companies such as Fluid Energy Group in Calgary, the GM plant in Oshawa and Medicom in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, are to be congratulated on their creativity and their desire to help the whole country fight COVID-19. These businesses have helped stimulate the economy by creating good jobs in their regions when good jobs were sorely needed.
To get this essential equipment into the hands of those who need it the most, PSPC has also launched a supply hub to bring together buyers and sellers of PPE and other supplies in the Canadian market. The supply hub website has been viewed more than 133,000 times by individuals from across Canada. All of this work has put Canada in a much stronger and more stable position in terms of supplies.
Even so, our work is far from done. This pandemic will not go away until we have a safe and effective vaccine. Our government has therefore adopted a dynamic approach to obtaining the most promising vaccine candidates and distributing them to Canadians as quickly as possible once they are approved.
PSPC has been taking recommendations from the government's COVID-19 vaccine task force, and we have already established agreements with seven manufacturers, including Moderna and Pfizer, to secure up to 414 million doses of their vaccine candidates. Moreover, we have made agreements with companies such as Becton, Dickinson and Company and Abbott for rapid antigen tests to supplement the existing testing regime. To date, more than four million of Abbott's Panbio and ID NOW rapid tests have already been delivered to provinces and territories, and deliveries are continuing on a weekly basis.
Our government believes that, given the surge in COVID-19 cases in many regions in the country, it is more important than ever to pursue its efforts to acquire essential supplies. I can assure the House that we will continue to make a concerted effort to advance this complex work.
The government's top priority remains the health and safety of all Canadians, and we will continue to pursue the equipment and supplies that we need for fighting COVID-19 to help us build a stronger and more resilient Canada for everyone.