GEORGINA, Ont. — An Ontario First Nation is turning to a drone delivery company for contact-free shipments of protective equipment and testing supplies in an effort to bolster enhanced protections against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company also has the ability to send packages of about 180 kilograms in larger unmanned aircraft if needed.
"At the beginning of the pandemic we had a total lockdown of the community," said McCue. "We tend to wait maybe three weeks or more before we go into the various phases that the province implements."
With the drone delivery system set to begin in the coming weeks, McCue said his community is in a better position to handle a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even though
Shipments can be further delayed by rough waters or inclement weather during harsh winters. With a drone service, shipments can be delivered to a depot on the island every hour, even with rain or snow.
"I think the community will feel more at ease knowing there is another avenue for us to obtain supplies without (contact)," said McCue.
If successful, he said drones could eventually be used to deliver everyday items like insulin and groceries to remote communities throughout the province.
"First Nations communites and remote communities have always been one of the markets that we've been addresssing since day one," said Zahra. "With the pandemic, we had a significant increase in inbound inquiries from First Nations communities and in healthcare... like hospitals, labs and senior homes."
The company operates out of a control centre in
He described the service to
Unmanned aircraft have been used as a tool to respond to the pandemic around the world. In
And in multiple Asian and European nations, drones have been used to monitor whether citizens are complying with social distancing.
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