MONTREAL -- The death toll at a long-term care facility in Montreal, the epicentre of COVID-19 in Canada, has jumped to 40 as health officials admit they failed to reach the lofty goal of conducting 14,000 tests per day in the city.

Montreal’s regional health authority confirmed Friday that of the 113 residents at the Vigi Dollard-des-Ormeaux facility, 60 have tested positive for COVID-19 and 40 have died.

A spokesperson said a team of volunteers and nurses were sent to the facility to reinforce their staff during the outbreak, noting that the “the situation has stabilized.”

In late April, residents accused the long-term care facility of neglect, claiming they were left waiting to be changed out of soiled clothes and were often left waiting for food. One resident told CTV news that many of the home’s staff has stopped coming to work over fears of the virus or because they too had become infected.

In late April, residents accused the Vigi DDO of neglect, claiming they were left waiting to be changed out of soiled clothes and were often left waiting for food. One resident told CTV news that many of the home’s staff has stopped coming to work over fears of the virus or because they too had become infected.

Long-term care homes have been the worse hit by COVID-19 in Canada. Quebec has seen widespread outbreaks of the disease in its facilities, where the army has been brought in as reinforcements.

On Friday, the province admitted it failed to reach its goal of conducting 14,000 COVID-19 tests per day as it prepares to launch a massive testing effort in Montreal, which had recorded 18,435 cases of COVID-19 and 1,727 deaths as of Friday evening.

Public health officials said they don't yet have enough staff to rapidly investigate all the patients who test positive and trace the people they may have come into contact with in an effort to reduce the community spread of the virus.

Quebec recorded 94 new deaths linked to COVID-19 Friday, bringing the provincial total to 2,725.