Legault Is Calling On Young Quebecers To Volunteer And Support Your Neighbors

• At his daily press conference announcing the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Quebec, Premier Legault also called on healthy young people to step up and volunteer to help during the crisis.
• A new site will allow prospective volunteers to find the organization in most need of their skills.
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At his daily COVID-19 press update, François Legault announced another increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Quebec. Now, with the province at 1,629 confirmed cases, the Premier has appealed to young people to volunteer to help as much as possible. A new online portal will match potential volunteers with areas that most need assistance. 

"Please, all Quebecers who have no symptoms, who are under 70, who have time on their hands, who do not have young children or [...] who have lost their jobs, please, go and do volunteer work, it is important," the Premier implored.

"In Quebec, there is a fairly well-developed network of community organizations, but in the context in which we live, there are human issues that have become even more important," Jean Boulet, the Minister of Labour, Employment, and Solidarity, underlined.

Community organizations "need volunteers to ensure quality of life and to maintain the social safety net in Quebec at its current level."

The new website, jebenevole.ca, allows users to select their region and browse volunteer opportunities near them.

If they register and complete their profile, prospective volunteers can easily find the organizations most in need of their skills.

The forum "will allow a good match between those who want to help, those who want to contribute, those who feel solidarity, and help community organizations to meet their needs," says the Minister.

"We will win this battle but to win we must follow the battle plan," Legault added.

The call to action comes as the number of cases in Quebec continues to grow.

The new cases announced Thursday represent an augmentation of 290.

So far, there are eight deaths in Quebec, including one in Montreal. 106 people have been hospitalized and another 43 are in intensive care. 

The province has conducted 36,000 tests. Of those, 2,600 people are under investigation for symptoms. Another 31,800 people have tested negative. 

Legault said that Quebec is among the jurisdictions that have conducted the most COVID-19 testing in the whole world.

With testing centres opening up in hospitals and public squares, the Premier is being praised for his efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus. 

On Wednesday, Legault acknowledged that the COVID-19 outbreak will be one of the biggest challenges that Quebec will ever face. 

"We are eight and a half million Quebecers, eight and a half million soldiers engaged in a peaceful but vital fight against the virus. And every action we take brings us closer to victory," he said.