MONTREAL -- The Quebec government will provide $133 million of emergency assistance to resources for seniors and people with specific needs to make sure they’re taken care of amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it announced Monday.

Marguerite Blais, the minister responsible for seniors and informal caregivers, said this is an effort to protect seniors and vulnerable peoples. The money will be used to hire more staff at the centres, and to buy protective and disinfectant materials. 

Of the $133 million, $40 million will be given to private seniors’ residences, $20 million to private, non-contracted residential and long-term care centres, and $73 million to intermediate and family-type resources. 

“In the past few days, there has been a lot of pressure on the owners of homes for the elderly and the vulnerable,” Blais said. “Like us, they are committed to providing a safe living environment for their residents and staff during the COVID-19 crisis.”