Returning to Quebec to hold his daily press briefing, Quebec Premier François Legault reports on the most recent assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic in the province, with the National Director of Public Health, Dr. Horacio Arruda, and the Minister of Health, Danielle McCann.
As of today there are 4228 deaths in Quebec that is 89 more than yesterday. There are 49, 139 confirmed cases of COVID-19. 1,378 people are in the hospital, including 184 whom are in intensive care.
The Legault government will launch specific training in mid-June to recruit some 10,000 healthcare workers. The measure aims to alleviate the labor shortage that affects the Quebec health network, particularly CHSLDs where "the situation remains difficult".
François Legault has announced that his government will start a three-month training course, from June to September, to recruit staff into the network. "We are going to launch a big campaign to convince 10,000 people to register," he said today at his press conference in Quebec.
The people who choose to register will be paid during training the salary of a "service assistant", that is to say, the salary of $21 an hour. If the student successfully completes his or her training, he will then be paid the current salary "via bonuses" or "the collective agreement" at the rate of $26 per hour. It is believed to be "an attractive offer," he said. The new training program will be offered "in the field" and in some vocational training centers.
This morning, the Canadian Armed Forces released a report on their mission in the CHSLDs of Quebec, as it did yesterday for the Ontario residences in which they intervened. The document reports on problems already highlighted since the start of the crisis, namely a difficulty in the management of contamination zones, problems in the use of protective equipment, as well as a lack of personnel.