Quebec adds 288 new COVID-19 cases as hospitalizations drop by 14

Back-to-school could be back to normal Quebec’s Education Minister announced plans for the new school year in the fall, including changes to public health regulations.

Montreal — New daily infections of COVID-19 were below 300 in Quebec for a third day in a row, with 288 new cases on Wednesday.

There are five more deaths due to the coronavirus, for a total of 11,138 since the start of the pandemic. There were no deaths reported in the last 24 hours, four were between May 26 and 31 and one was at an unknown date.

A total of 340 people remain in hospital, a decrease of 14 from the day before. The number of people in the ICU is also down by nine, for a total of 77.

The Quebec Insitute of Public Health (INSPQ) reports there are 3,475 active cases in Quebec, a decrease of 134 from the day before.

Since the start of the pandemic, 356,202 people have recovered from the virus.

Health officials conducted 27,305 tests on May 31.

VACCINATIONS

The province administered 67,165 doses in the last 24 hours, the lowest number of shots given in the last seven days. Quebec has administered a total of 5,719,839 doses since the start of the vaccination campaign.

The province has received a total of 6,427,659 doses so far. A shipment of 51,312 doses of the Pfizer vaccine was delivered to the regions on Tuesday, fulfilling the total order of 540,540 doses expected this week.

Another 90,500 doses of the Moderna vaccine are also expected to arrive this week.

To date, 61.9 per cent of the population has received their first dose and almost half a million people have received their second dose in Quebec.

Quebec's health minister noted on Wednesday the province is going to exceed its objective of vaccinating 5.3 million people by Thursday, 12 days ahead of its target date.

On Thursday, the government is expected to announce details of its plan to speed up the roll-out of second doses to the public.

REGIONAL BREAKDOWN

Montreal once again recorded fewer than 100 new COVID-19 cases, with 99 infections recorded in the last 24 hours.

Other regions with highest daily counts include Chaudière-Appalaches (28), Montérégie (27), the Laurentians (26) and Laval (20). All other regions recorded fewer than 20 cases on Wednesday.

Bas-Saint-Laurent, Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Québec, Montreal, Chaudière-Appalaches, and the Laurentians each recorded one new death.