Quebec reports 93 more positive COVID-19 cases, big drop in hospitalizations

A 19-year-old dies of COVID-19 in Quebec After a 19-year-old Quebecer died of the virus, epidemiologist Dr. Christopher Labos says it's important to stay on guard about the risks.

MONTREAL — Quebec public health authorities announced Friday that 93 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, and one person has died due to the disease in the same time period.

In addition, two deaths occured between Aug. 14-20 bringing the total number of deaths in the province to 5,733.

One death was reported in Montreal, one in the Lower Laurentians and one in Monteregie.

A 19-year-old in Quebec has died from complications linked to COVID-19, the province's Health Department confirmed Friday.

The case marks the first time someone under the age of 20 has died from COVID-19 in Quebec since the pandemic began, spokeswoman Marie-Claude Lacasse said in an emailed statement.

The province said 3,279 people between the ages of 10 and 19 have tested positive for the novel coronavirus to date.

Among those cases, 31 people had to be hospitalized, including six who were in intensive care.

The total number of positive COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic in Quebec is now 61,495.

Of the 93 cases, 32 were reported on the Island of Montreal (29,547 total), 11 in the Lower Laurentians (4,135 total) and Monteregie (9,192 total), 10 in Lanaudiere (4,760 total), nine in Laval (6,210 total), and eight in the Capital Region (2,015 total).

There were 10 fewer people receiving treatment in Quebec hospitals Friday than the day prior for a total of 136. Of those, the number of people in the intensive care ward decreased by two for a total of 23.

On Aug. 19, health-care professionals analyzed 16,164 samples, which is 62 less than the number analyzed Aug. 18. (Quebec releases its testing data from two days prior to its daily updates).

-- with reporting from The Canadian Press.