Quebec reports two deaths due to COVID-19, none in the past 24 hours

Health experts urge Quebec to keep restrictions Experts are worried of a variant-fuelled third wave as new COVID-19 cases climb before holiday season

MONTREAL — After topping 1,000 new COVID-19 cases for the first time in over a month Saturday, Quebec reported 917 more people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus bringing the total number of infections to 308,311.

The new cases bring the seven-day average for new daily cases to 853 cases per day, and the Quebec Institute of Public Health is reporting that there are 2,837 active cases, an increase of 220.

The number of active cases in the province has increased by 810 in the past week, and is at its highest point since Feb. 28 when 7,981 active cases were reported.

Presumptive variant cases increased by 553 Sunday for a total of 6,118. Of those, 705 are confirmed cases of COVID-19 variants.

Of the total, 289,827 people are reported to have recovered from the disease, 695 more than 24 hours ago.

Quebec also added two deaths due to the virus Sunday, which occurred between March 21 and March 26.

Those deaths were reported in the Eastern Townships (320 total) and Montreal (4,612 total).

Since the pandemic began, Quebec has reported that 10,647 people have died in the province due to COVID-19.

Hospitalizations dropped by one Sunday, and there are now 480 people receiving care in Quebec's hospitals. Of those, 114 people are in intensive care wards, an increase of six.

After reporting that more than 50,000 COVID-19 vaccines were administered on Thursday and Friday, Quebec reported that health-care professionals administered 45,745 more vaccines. Since the campaign began, Quebec has administered 1,222,884 vaccinations, which is 14.4 per cent of the population.

On March 26, 29,407 samples were analyzed. (Quebec releases its testing data from two days prior to its daily updates).

REGIONAL DATA

Montreal (280 new, 114,885), Monteregie (124 new, 43,962 total), Quebec City (114 new, 23,703 total), and Laval (112 new, 27,000 total) reported the highest number of new cases Sunday.