Quebec COVID-19 hospitalizations drop again, as province reports 749 new cases

Seniors arrive for their shots at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Montreal, Friday, March 5, 2021. Vaccinations in Quebec have surpassed 500,000. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

MONTREAL — Quebec announced Saturday that 749 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours bringing the total number of cases to 291,924 since the start of the pandemic.

Of those, 274,245 are reported to have recovered, which is 815 more than on Friday.

The seven-day average for daily case increases is now 703, and the Quebec Institute of Public Health is reporting that there are 7,214 active cases in the province, a decrease of 76 from Friday.

In addition, the province added 10 new deaths due to the disease to the overall total including four in the past 24 hours, four between Feb. 27 and March 4, and two before Feb. 27.

Since the start of the pandemic, Quebec has recorded 10,465 deaths due to the novel coronavirus.

Hospitalizations dropped for a second day on Saturday with Quebec reporting that 16 fewer patients are receiving care in the province's hospitals for a total of 601 hospitalizations. Of those, 109 people are in the intensive care ward, a decrease of two.

As vaccination efforts ramp up, Quebec announced that 19,865 vaccine doses were administered Friday, which is 1,631 more than the 18,234 administered Thursday. In total, 532,012 vaccine doses have been administered in Quebec (6.3 per cent of the population).

On March 4, health-care professionals analyzed 29,109 samples. (Quebec releases its testing data from two days prior to its daily updates).

REGIONAL DATA

Montreal reported the highest increase in cases Saturday (338 new, 108,088 total) followed by Laval (96 new, 25,170 total) and Monteregie (84 new, 42,199 total).

Four deaths were reported in Montreal (4,536 total), and two in Lanaudiere (494 total) and Monteregie (1,484 total).

One death was reported in Quebec City (991 total), and the Eastern Townships (306 total).