Canadian Armed Forces deployed to Quebec to help with COVID-19 vaccination campaign

The federal government is sending in the armed forces to help with the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Quebec.

Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair made the announcement via Twitter Monday morning.

"Following our approval of Quebec’s request for federal assistance, Canadian Armed Forces personnel will begin their deployment today to provide support to the province’s vaccination campaign,” he wrote. “Our officials continue to assess what other federal resources can be utilized to help the province combat COVID-19.”

In an email, spokesperson Lt. Daniel Alejandro Pineda Revelo told CTV News that the Forces looked at "several scenarios involving different regions" but at the request of the province will be "focusing on the Montreal area for the time being."

Pineda Revelo said the Canadian Armed Forces are assessing the current needs before deploying troops.

"Once the reconnaissance is complete, we will be able to deploy the appropriate number of military personnel to the locations targeted by the province," he said, adding that "some members could receive their familiarization session as early as tomorrow."

Tasks could include welcoming people to the vaccination centre, guiding them through the steps to be vaccinated and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and areas, he explained.

The move to deploy military personnel comes following a request made two weeks ago by Quebec’s public safety minister, Geneviève Guilbault, who asked for help ramping up the number of shots administered daily in the province.

"Omicron threatens the hospital capacity of Quebec. We must speed up the vaccination of Quebecers," Guilbault said on Twitter on Dec. 21.

As of Monday active cases in Quebec surpassed 100,000, and hospitalizations are on the rise, with nearly 1,400 patients in hospital, including 181 people in intensive care.

The clock is ticking to get booster shots to Quebecers as quickly as possible, said infectious diseases expert Dr. Donald Vinh.

"Right now we are not only try to catch up but we’re trying to grab the last lifejacket on a sinking ship," he said. "Hopefully by having the armed forces available we can address the personnel issue. We can address the number of mass vaccination sites available and that will help people avoid the bottlenecks that they’ve encountered."

Monday morning, Quebecers stood in line for hours -- sometimes outside in the cold -- as they waited to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The province announced last week that it was rolling out booster shots, a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, to all Quebecers 18 and up.

Appointments are already available for those 60 and up and other priority groups, including those in certain professions and people with some health conditions, and will open incrementally from Tuesday until Jan. 21 for younger age groups.

- With files from CTV News Montreal's Matt Grillo