Quebec watching 488 active COVID-19 outbreaks, 429 new cases Sunday

No more masks in Quebec schools? The Quebec government is considering lifting the mask mandate in classrooms across the province.

Montreal — Health data released Sunday reveals 429 more people have caught COVID-19 in Quebec since Saturday, as public health monitors 488 active outbreaks within the province.

Two more people have been reported dead due to the virus, bringing the death toll to 11,472 since the pandemic began.

Overall hospitalizations decreased again on Sunday, with 250 people receiving care -- down five from Saturday.

Of that total, 65 patients are in the ICU, a decrease of three.

The data in Sunday's update are based on analysis of 28,093 COVID-19 tests, for a positivity rate of 1.3 per cent.

VACCINATION CAMPAIGN

Of Quebecers aged 12 and up, 86 per cent are fully vaccinated, and 90 per cent have received at least one dose.

Most of Saturday's cases were reported among people who had either received their first dose less than two weeks prior, or never got a shot at all.

That group accounted for 266 of the 429 infections, and 10 of the 17 new hospitalizations.

Public health says unvaccinated people are 19.7 times more likely to be hospitalized after catching COVID-19.