Quebec reports 146 more COVID-19 cases, four more deaths

Outbreak at Saint-Eustache Hospital A COVID-19 outbreak at Saint-Eustache Hospital in the Lower Laurentians has prompted a massive testing operation.

MONTREAL — Quebec public health officials announced Saturday that 146 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

There were no new deaths recorded during the same period, but officials announced that four deaths occurred before July 24.

The total number of positive cases in the province since the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic is 59,458, and 5,678 people have died due to the virus.

Of the new cases, 71 were recorded on the Island of Montreal, 27 were in the Monteregie, and 20 in the Lower Laurentians.

All four deaths were reported on the Island of Montreal. Since the start of the crisis, Montreal has accounted for 3,441 (60 per cent) of the fatalities in the province.

There are now 12 fewer patients in the province's hospitals than there were Friday, bringing the total to 177. Of those, 18 are in the intensive care ward, which is three more than 24 hours ago.

Quebec health-care professionals analyzed 18,437 samples July 30, which is 1,144 more than the number performed July 29. (Quebec releases testing data from two days prior to the daily updates.