A fresh supply of equipment to protect healthcare workers during the coronavirus crisis has arrived — but it did not include N95 respirators.However, David Burt, the Premier, said yesterday that shipment of equipment from China was expected to arrive next Thursday.The N95 respirators give medical staff a higher degree of protection against infection than loose-fitting surgical masks as they filter out the majority of small airborne particles if well sealed against the user’s face.A Ministry of Health spokeswoman said on March 13 that the Government had secured a supply of the respirators, but there has been no update on their expected arrival date.The ministry said the latest shipment to land included 100 cases of isolation gowns, three cases of aprons and 30 pairs of goggles.It also had 600 digital thermometers, six thermometer scanners and 10,000 two-ounce containers of hand sanitiser.Bermuda now has 17 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including two hospitalisations.A ministry spokeswoman said yesterday that the new shipment would be “distributed as needed, starting with our healthcare providers and vulnerable populations”.Extra supplies of surgical masks for adults and children, gloves, disinfectant wipes, and sterile head covers have also been ordered, but have not yet arrived.Mr Burt said that although there had been “numerous promises” made by the UK to provide equipment, “there has been nothing that has resulted from those particular pledges”.He added that Ministry of Health had been “incredibly resourceful” in its efforts to track down vital supplies.Mr Burt said that the cargo plane from China was expected to bring personal protection equipment, masks and other medical supplies.The Government did not respond last night after it was asked if the Chinese delivery included respirators.A health ministry spokeswoman said on March 13 that the “vast majority” of items secured at that time were expected to arrive from the US and Canada in the next 14 days. She added: “The N95 masks are in production and then they will be shipped subsequently.”N95 respirators are certified to block at least 95 per cent of very small test particles.The World Health Organisation warned earlier this month there was a global shortage, as well as price gouging, for protective equipment to fight Covid-19.The WHO asked companies and governments worldwide to increase production by 40 per cent as the worldwide Covid-19 death toll mounted.The Bermuda Hospitals Board at the weekend detailed measures available to protect staff at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.A spokeswoman said there were nine negative pressure rooms in the acute care wing that stopped air flow out and several high-efficiency particulate air filters — Hepa — that could be stationed in the rooms of infectious patients. She added: “The fifth floor of the acute care wing has a separate air-filtration system that isolates it from the rest of the building.“Staff who have to go in patient rooms, doctors, nurses, housekeeping, have personal protective equipment and current WHO and Centres for Disease Control guidelines which we are following advise that in general care surgical masks, eye protection, gowns and gloves should be used.”The spokeswoman said a higher level of protection was used for procedures in the throat, called aerosolising procedures.She explained the hospital used powered air-purifying respirators — PAPR — which covered “the whole head and has its own filtered air supply, or an N95 mask, gowns and gloves” in these cases. The spokeswoman said: “There has been advanced training throughout February and March for staff who have to go in patient rooms. About 200 training and education sessions have been undertaken.”She added the hospital had also changed its operations to protect patients and staff.People must now phone first rather than turn up at the emergency department and outpatients have to call before regular appointments to check for risk factors and potential symptoms.The lab and imaging diagnostics units now have appointment-only systems, rather than walk-ins.