TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th May, 2020) Some 1,350 Canadian soldiers will providing assistance in 25 of Quebec's long-term care facilities when their deployment is completed next week, Minister of National Defense Harjit Sajjan told reporters on Thursday.
The dire situation in care homes across Ontario and Quebec amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has garnered national attention and the Canadian military is already assisting in 13 such facilities in Quebec's and five in Ontario.
Canada's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Theresa Tam told reporters last week that 79 percent of all Canadian fatalities are attributed to COVID-19 outbreaks in care homes.
"As we speak, we are working to deploy additional teams, bringing the Canadian Armed Forces support to a total of 25 of Quebec's long-term care facilities in the Montreal area by mid-May. In the following week, when deployment is complete, we expect to have over 1,350 members dedicated in helping our loved ones in long-term health facilities," Sajjan said.
The defense minister added that an additional 265 members of Canada's military are assisting in five of Ontario's long-term care facilities and that more than 200 Canadian Rangers are supporting 26 communities in northern and eastern Quebec.
As part of Operation LASER - the Canadian military's response to the COVID-19 pandemic - the Canadian Rangers are also assisting with COVID-19 containment and response efforts in North Saskatchewan and doing contact tracing in Ontario.
