Number of COVID-19-infected Canadian soldiers rise to 28

The Department of National Defence (DND) announced that 28 members of the Canadian Armed Forces tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Twelve of these staff in Ontario and 16 in Quebec contracted the virus while working at long-term care facilities in the said provinces.

Last week, the DND reported only five cases among its members and said that it would give an update every two weeks. However, on Thursday, May 21, Defence officials after confirming this increase, changed tune and said that they will start giving updates about the numbers daily.

The DND’s spokesperson Daniel Le Bouthillier said that when a staff of the military working at long-term care facilities reports sickness, they are immediately removed from duty to be given medical attention. This includes isolation and quarantine.

Le Bouthillier also said that when this happens, personnel will be rotated in as required in order to fill any gaps in the work flow.

“We remain flexible to able to respond to a variety of tasks in support of civil authorities,” he added.

He explained that members of the Armed Forces are being tested regularly as a nod to the provincial guidelines. These military personnel are also wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and are being trained in using these by the military’s medical branch and according to the guidelines set by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Almost 1,700 military personnel are working in 30 long-term care homes, with 25 of these facilities being in Quebec. Each facility has a mix of medical personnel and general purpose soldiers. These staff are aiding regular workers by giving medical assistance and other chores such as cleaning, serving food, and addressing the basic needs of residents. This operation was started after Quebec’s and Ontario’s governments said that the COVID-19 case rates at long-term care homes were overwhelming to its regular working staff.