TORONTO -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is encouraging Canadians to keep donating blood during the widening COVID-19 pandemic.
During an update he provided outside of his home in Ottawa on Thursday, Trudeau said donating blood is one way people can help others in need.
鈥淓ven if you don鈥檛 work in a hospital you can still keep people healthy, for example, we still need blood donors. If you鈥檙e able, consider going in and donating,鈥 he said.
The prime minister then directed interested donors to book an appointment online at or to call Canadian Blood Services at 1-888-236-6283.
PM Trudeau鈥檚 message to the public echoed a similar call for donations put out by Canadian Blood Services earlier in the week.
The non-profit charity, which is responsible for the national blood system outside of Quebec, has warned of a 鈥渨orrying鈥 rise in appointment cancellations in recent days. The organization has repeatedly stressed the continual need for blood, stem cells, plasma, and organ and tissue donors.
鈥淥ur blood products unfortunately have very short shelf lives and if we鈥檙e not having donors come in to our collection centres on a regular and routine basis, we鈥檙e always very close to the possibility that we鈥檒l run into shortages,鈥 Dr. Isra Levy, the vice president of medical affairs and innovation at Canadian Blood Services, told 麻豆影视 Channel on Thursday.
While Levy said the charity鈥檚 inventory of blood is currently where it鈥檚 supposed to be, he said that could change should people stop donating.
鈥淧eople should remember, people who already donate blood and also those who might be interested in beginning to donate blood, we are always on the edge of a short supply,鈥 he said.
Following Canadian Blood Service鈥檚 public plea earlier in the week, Levy said that appointments have 鈥減icked up again鈥 and they need to be sustained.
Levy also took the opportunity to reassure people that it鈥檚 still safe to donate blood during the pandemic. He said Canadian Blood Services is pre-screening donors about their symptoms and travel history before they鈥檙e allowed to enter one of their donation centres.
鈥淲hat we really want to remind people is that blood is an essential service and it鈥檚 a good reason to come out and donate blood and our centres are safe,鈥 he said.
Levy said their workers practice physical distancing whenever possible and they鈥檙e continuing to take infection control measures at all of their facilities. He also wanted to remind people that the act of donating blood is safe.
鈥淭here is no evidence that people, if they do have COVID-19, would put other people at risk through blood transfusion,鈥 he said. 鈥淏lood transfusions are safe. There鈥檚 not been a coronavirus of any time that has been known to cause a transmission of disease.鈥
