"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.
Four children were found unresponsive on a shoreline in Portneuf-sur-Mer on Quebec's North Shore on Saturday, according to Quebec provincial police (SQ).
New study finds increase in antipsychotic drugs use in long-term care homes across Canada, despite no significant increase in behavioural symptoms – something that may expose a potential area of concern for quality of care, researchers say.
Photos released by NASA taken from International Space Station show the immense scale of the wildfires in Nova Scotia, with billowing smoke engulfing the landscape.
At the moment, wildfires are burning across six provinces and one territory in Canada — and they’re still spreading in what’s being called an unprecedented fire season. While firefighters work tirelessly to battle the merciless flames and prevent further destruction, scientists say the wildfires are linked to climate change and that this will be the new normal.
A 38-year-old sergeant in the Canadian Army was fined $3,000 and issued a severe reprimand after he made what a military judge described as 'utterly disgusting' anti-Jewish comments while conducting an infantry training course in 2021.
Toronto police say the five suspects involved in a stabbing at Kennedy Station Friday night that left a man in critical condition are between the ages of 12 and 15 years old.
A Halifax-area wildfire that forced thousands of residents from their homes over the past week is 85 per cent contained and no longer spreading, officials said Saturday morning.
Evacuees at the Sandy Wickens Memorial Arena in Barrington, N.S., are out of the fire zone but now face their own battle — how to cope with so much uncertainty, and what lies ahead.
Multiple sources have told CTV News that the WSIB is now eyeing the 3M building at 300 Tartan Dr. near Veterans Memorial Parkway as a new headquarters.
Photos released by NASA taken from International Space Station show the immense scale of the wildfires in Nova Scotia, with billowing smoke engulfing the landscape.
It's the start of a new season at Moraine Lake and for the first time, you will have to take a shuttle bus to access the famous landmark -- no matter how early you're willing to show up.
The defence has completed its closing summations in an ongoing Windsor murder trial involving the shooting death of 20-year-old Madisen Gingras in April of 2020.
The City of Regina has a three-phase approach to address the flooding that occurs at the downtown underpasses during most heavy rainfalls, including Thursday night’s storm.
Eight years ago, the Regina Police Service (RPS) embarked on a facility dog program. Now, one of its first recruits officially retired from her career.
Four children were found unresponsive on a shoreline in Portneuf-sur-Mer on Quebec's North Shore on Saturday, according to Quebec provincial police (SQ).
