Quebec breaks multiple records in single-day COVID-19 vaccinations; adds 1,527 new cases

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MONTREAL — As the province reported 1,527 new COVID-19 cases along with a rise in hospitalizations, the number of vaccinations for the novel coronavirus in Quebec broke multiple single-day records.

RECORD VACCINE NUMBERS

A record 74,927 doses of the various COVID-19 vaccines were administered in Quebec on Thursday, Health and Social Services Minister Christian Dube announced Friday.

The 15,522 doses injected during the day in Quebec pharmacies were also a daily record, according to the minister.

This number could increase as the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in pharmacies will be rolled out over the next few days in all regions of Quebec.

The Quebec association of pharmacy owners (AQPP) reported that as vaccines are delivered to pharmacies until April 20, citizens in all regions will be able to get vaccinated in one of the 1,500 community pharmacies contributing to the immunization effort.

According to Thursday's data, the average number of doses injected over the last seven days in Quebec has passed the 66,000 mark.

This is, according to the health minister, an average that is well above what was expected for the month of April.

Dube believes that these statistics are good news for the objective of having vaccinated all Quebecers by June 24.

A little less than 24 hours before the vaccine statistics were published on Thursday, the Quebec Institute of Public Health (INSPQ) reported that 25.1 per cent of the Quebec population had received an injection against the coronavirus. As of Friday, 26 per cent of Quebecer have received their first dose.

In total, 2,145,925 Quebecers had received a dose of the vaccine.

NEW CASES, DEATHS, HOSPITALIZATIONS

Since the start of the pandemic, Quebec has reported 334,071 positive COVID-19 cases. Of those, 309,345 people are reported to have recovered from the disease, an increase of 1,597 from 24 hours ago.

The daily average of new COVID-19 cases for the past week is now 1,568.

The INSPQ reported that there are 77 fewer active COVID-19 cases in the province for a total of 13,941.

The province reported seven new deaths due to the disease Friday, including one death in the past 24 hours, four between April 9 and April 14, one before April 9, and one at an unknown date.

The number of hospitalizations increased in the province with three more people receiving care in Quebec hospitals for a total of 664. Of those, 167 people are in intensive care wards, an increase of three.

On April 14, a total of 43,515 samples were analyzed.

REGIONAL DATA AND VARIANTS

Montreal reported this highest number of new cases with 355 new (121,434 total), followed by Quebec City (294 new, 29,083 total), Chaudiere-Appalaches (204 new, 14,848 total), Outaouais (151 new, 9,974 total) and Monteregie (122 new, 16,282 total).

Two deaths were reported in Chaudiere-Appalaches (296 total), and one death was reported in Quebec City (1,045 total), the Eastern Townships (325 total), Montreal (4,651 total), Laval (894 total), and Monteregie (1,521 total).

There were 583 more presumptive variant cases reported Friday (19,810 total), and 268 more confirmed cases (2,744 total). Of the confirmed variant cases, 2,554 cases are the B.1.1.7 sequence, 163 the 1.351, 19 the B.1.525 and eight are the P.1 variant.

-- with files from The Canadian Press.