‘We’re going to get through this,’ says nurse working at Montreal coronavirus test site

"Everybody's a bit tired, but we're trying to keep things up," said Romy Boisseau in an interview with CBC. Boisseau works as a nurse at a testing clinic that has been set up at Place des Arts in Montreal.

"Everybody is in a good mood," said Boisseau, describing the morale of her co-workers. A cool head is important is reassuring patients when answering their questions. "It's OK, we're going to get through this."

Boisseau and her colleagues have been testing hundred and thousands of people over the course of the pandemic, officials believe that mass testing is the best way to keep cases from spiking in one area or another.

The temporary tents that have been set up at Place des Arts since Monday and the long term goal is to have the ability to test up to 2,000 people daily. It generally takes 2-4 days for the results to come in after a test is complete. That has kept Boisseau and her colleagues quite busy however, she feels it's the best process for resolution and is willing to keep it up for however long it takes.

She is well aware of the personal risks she faces in providing this service. Boisseau is in constant contact with potential COVID-19 patients every day. There are 30 testing stations under the tent set-up, which fortunately, is heated.

"We're taking every precaution that we can to make sure that they're safe," she said.

Boisseau follows a strict protocol of hygiene when coming home to see her husband and two children. She takes her clothes off outside and washes them after her shift right away so not to spread a possible infection to her family.

The temporary facility is open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. There are currently 125 personnel working at the downtown tent, which is operated by the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal. They are able to accommodate both walk-up and drive-thru visitors.

Testing is only administered to those who meet the criteria for the time being, such as those who exhibit the symptoms such as a fever or coughing and those who have recently returned from a foreign country.

When Boisseau was asked what her message to the people of Quebec is, she simply responded with, "Stay home. Don't go out,"

"Be as far as you can from other people, and it's going to flatten the [curve]."

A message that has been echoed by premier Francois Legault and public health official, Dr. Horacio Arruda. Arruda has explained that the initial strategy for Quebec was to apply target testing in order to get to those who are most likely to be at risk of having coronavirus.

Both Arruda and Legault have stated the importance of "flattening the curve," the premier calling for strict measures of social distancing in a time that he's referred to as the "greatest battle of our collective lives."