Canadians soldiers, who have been pressed into service to tackle the coronavirus crisis in long-term care homes in the country, will receive benefits on par with those for troops on overseas missions, given the hazardous nature of their duty.
These homes, particularly in the hardest hit provinces of Quebec and Ontario, have accounted for the majority of deaths related to the Covid-19 pandemic in Canada, and 40 soldiers have already tested positive since being stationed at such facilities.
Canadian Armed Forces personnel were called in at these homes after they proved to be the epicentre of Covid-19 related fatalities, numbering more than 60 per cent of the 7,295 deaths recorded in the country so far. They were inserted into the homes after public health authorities, especially in Quebec, were unable to cope with the emergency.
Such homes house those most vulnerable to the disease, like the elderly or those with chronic conditions and debilities. In a letter posted online, Canada’s Chief of the Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance noted that this deployment has been designated a “special duty operation.” Canadian outlet CBC reported that it was expected that these soldiers will be eligible for “hazard pay.”
Canadian Armed Forces or CAF realised the danger when they were first called in “given that our personnel would be operating in high risk environments and working in close proximity to residents who have tested positive or are exhibiting Covid-19 related symptoms”, a statement noted. There are 1,760 troops deployed at these facilities, of whom 1,475 are deployed at 23 homes in Quebec, beginning in April.
Recent reports from the armed forces about the deplorable state of these homes has been in the headlines in the country.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has maintained that these troops will keep assisting in these nursing homes, though he also described this as a “stopgap” measure.
