As Quebec and Ontario tighten restrictions and close the border between the two provinces in an attempt to curb the third COVID-19 wave, Quebec reported 1,537 more positive COVID-19 cases Saturday.
Since the pandemic began, Quebec has reported 335,608 positive novel coronavirus cases.
The Quebec Institute of Public Health (INSPQ) is reporting 2,744 confirmed COVID-19 variant cases, and 20,969 suspected cases, which increased by 1,159.
There are now 13,768 active COVID-19 cases in the province, the INSPQ says. That number is down 173 from Friday.
Of the total cases, 311,047 are reported to have recovered from the virus, 1,702 more than on Friday.
GLOBAL COVID-19 DEATHS REACH GRIM MILESTONE
As the global COVID-19 death toll surpassed 3 million Saturday, Quebec reported eight more deaths due to the novel coronavirus including five in the past 24 hours, and three between April 10 and April 15.
Since the pandemic began, Quebec has reported 10,793 deaths due to COVID-19.
VACCINATIONS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS
On Saturday, Quebec reported that 70,908 more vaccinations were administered bringing that total to 2,297,411.
It is the second day in a row more than 70,000 vaccine doses were administered in a 24-hour period.
Since the campaign began, 26.8 per cent of the province’s population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
Vehicles with loudspeakers will be driving around Cote-des-Neiges and the West Island in Montreal on the weekend encouraging citizens to sign up for vaccination appointments.
The province announced Saturday that 28 more people are receiving care in Quebec hospitals for COVID-19 bringing that total to 692. Of those, 175 people are in intensive care wards, an increase of eight.
It is the biggest increase in hospitalizations in over a week.
On April 15, 39,015 samples were analyzed. (Quebec releases its testing data from two days prior to its daily updates).
REGIONAL DATA
Montreal’s new COVID-19 cases remain the highest in the province (375 new, 121,809 total), but new cases in the metropolis have remained below 400 in all but one day since the beginning of April.
Chaudiere-Appalaches (224 new, 15,072 total), Quebec City (205 new, 29,288 total), Monteregie (203 new, 46,485 total), and Outaouais (164 new, 10,138 total) all reported high increases in new cases.
Quebec City accounted for four of the new deaths due to the novel coronavirus and has now reported 1,049 deaths since the pandemic began.
Two deaths were reported in Outaouais (185 total), and one death was reported in the Eastern Townships (326 total) and Monteregie (1,522 total).
