"The Canadian Rangers of 2nd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group [will] support the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services in Nunavik in preventing the spread of COVID-19. We are proud to support this request from the Government of Quebec, which has been approved by federal authorities," 2nd Canadian Division and Joint Task Force (East) Commanding Officer Gervais Carpentier said on Tuesday.
Fourteen Canadian Ranger patrols from the 2nd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (2 CRPG) will be entrusted with a number of tasks, including preparing triages in the northern community of Nunavik, the statement said.
The 2 CRPG will mobilize 40 rangers on continuous standby and another 40 for singular tasks.
Quebec has been one of the hardest hit regions in Canada with 8,580 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infections and 121 deaths. Officials have expressed concern about areas of heightened vulnerability, especially indigenous and northern communities.
On Tuesday, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam revealed that the number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Canada increased to 17,063, while the death toll increased to 345.
The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on 11 March. To date, more than 1,400,000 people have been infected with the new coronavirus worldwide, while 81,000 have succumbed to the deadly virus, according to Johns Hopkins University.