Quebec COVID-19 hospitalizations drop by 27, province adds 958 new cases

Critical period for vaccinations Quebec’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign has ramped up as the province enters a critical period for reaching herd immunity.

MONTREAL — Quebec reported Saturday that 958 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections since the start of the pandemic to 357,174.

Of those, 337,538 people are reported to have recovered from the disease, an increase of 1,033.

Active COVID-19 cases dropped by 82, as the Quebec Institute of Public Health (INSPQ) is now reporting 8,655 active cases.

The province also reported seven more deaths due to the novel coronavirus, including one in the past 24 hours, five between May 1 and May 6, and one before May 1.

Since the pandemic began, 10,981 Quebecers are reported to have died due to COVID-19.

Hospitalizations dropped by 27 in the past 24 hours, which is the fourth day in a row hospital patient numbers have declined. In total, there are 547 patients receiving care for COVID-19 in the province's hospitals, including 130 people in intensive care wards, a decrease of nine.

On May 6, 35,562 samples were analyzed.

VACCINATION CAMPAIGN

After surpassing 100,000 vaccinations for the first time on Friday, Quebec health-care professionals administered 91,009 more doses, including 89,252 in the past 24 hours.

In total, the province has administered 3,641,908 vaccines, which means 41.1 per cent of the province has received at least one dose of vaccine.

Quebec reports that 169,031 people have received two doses of vaccine.

REGIONAL DATA

Of the total cases, the regions that reported the highest case increases were Montreal (204 new, 127,142 total), Monteregie (131 new, 49,155 total), and Chaudiere-Appalaches (123 new, 17,662 total).

Bas-Saint-Laurent (63 new, 3,349 total), Quebec City (74 new, 31,779 total), the Eastern Townships (86 new, 13,697 total), and Outaouais (58 new, 11,616 total) all reported a spike in cases to end the week.

Three of the new deaths were reported in Outaouais (205 total), two in Chaudiere-Appalaches (330 total), and one death was reported in Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Quebec (513 total), and Montreal (4,688 total).