More than 1,800 NSW businesses step up to fill medical supply chain

The New South Wales Government's call for assistance from local businesses to fill the medical supply chain and build a personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpile has received a resounding response.

More than 1,800 businesses from across NSW have put their hands up to help protect vulnerable workers and produce critical PPE items during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To date the NSW Government has engaged with more than 1,600 businesses so far, and ordered items including face masks, shields, hand sanitiser, disinfectants, gloves, surgical gowns and paper products through the Emergency Supplies portal.

"We've received an overwhelming response to our call for assistance to meet demand for these key protective products, which prevent the spread of COVID-19," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

"I'm proud so many local suppliers and manufacturers have acted quickly to source or produce equipment that protects our emergency and frontline medical workers serving our community in this time of urgent need."

More than 20 per cent of the 1,800 businesses listed on the Emergency Supplies portal are from regional NSW.

"We know businesses in regional NSW are struggling, having dealt with drought, bushfires and now COVID-19," NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for NSW Industry and Trade John Barilaro said.

"However, people in the bush are resilient and resourceful and that's never been more evident than now as companies re-purpose their product line to provide medical and cleaning products, to help during the COVID-19 crisis."

The NSW Government has now launched a new Emergency Supplies portal for industries requiring emergency PPE that will connect suppliers with those in need.

Local governments and industry can access local PPE suppliers by visiting buy.nsw and businesses can still register their interest to supply.

Updated at 2:06pm AEST on 1 May 2020.