Former Olympic figure skater Joannie Rochette announced on Saturday that she will work in Quebec’s long-term care homes as they continue to suffer the worst of the COVID-19 crisis in the province.
Rochette, who competed in the 2006 Turin and 2010 Vancouver Olympics — where she won a bronze medal — received her medical degree from McGill University on Friday.
Quebec Premier François Legault says the province has the COVID-19 pandemic under control but that long-term care homes remain at the heart of the health crisis.
READ MORE: Coronavirus: Quebec counts 106 more deaths as crisis continues to hit long-term care homes
The majority of Quebec’s COVID-19 deaths have originated in nursing homes.
The government’s focus remains on protecting seniors and bolstering staffing in long-term care centres, where the situation is critical, according to Legault.
After pleading for help from military and health-care professionals to assist in residences, the province urged all people who are able to work full-time to sign up online. They are eligible for $21.28 per hour.
“I hope it will draw a lot more people, thousands of people,” said Health Minister Danielle McCann.
“At the beginning, we needed expertise. Now, we need people.”
The premier also didn’t exclude placing privately-run residences under the care of the government, but he said he will be taking a deeper look into the situation.
Legault said while the COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities are happening in other countries, that doesn’t excuse the emergency transpiring in Quebec’s nursing homes.
–With files from The Canadian Press and Global News’ Kalina Laframboise
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