Twenty-nine soldiers working in long-term care facilities in Quebec and Ontario have now tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Canadian Armed Forces.
The troops are part of Operation LASER, which sent them into seniors residences to help with staff shortages. In a normal spring, Canadian soldiers might be working on flooding relief or forest fires in the north.
The novel coronavirus has forced the Canadian military into a new role. Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance issues statement to troops calling COVID-19 a global health emergency and asking for discipline and patience.
Vance tells troops across Canada to “stand by and be ready” for whatever deployment comes. The death toll in long-term care facilities starts to