MONTREAL -- Quebec active COVID-19 cases dropped below 1,500 for the first time since Aug. 30 on Saturday. 

The Quebec Institute of Public Health (INSPQ) is reporting that there are 1,469 active novel coronavirus cases in the province. 

The last time the number was below 1,500 was Aug. 30 when 1,482 cases were reported.

The province also added 160 new infections bringing the total number of people infected to 373,818 since the start of the pandemic.

Of those, 361,160 have recovered from the disease, an increase of 187.

The number of deaths due to COVID-19 jumped in Quebec to start the weekend with the province saying nine more people have died due to the disease. Four of the deaths occurred between June 12 and June 17, four before June 12, and one at an unknown date. 

Since the pandemic began, 11,189 people have died, the province reports.

Hospitalizations increased for the first time since May 23 with three more patients reported to be receiving care in Quebec hospitals for a total of 178. Of those, 39 people are in intensive care wards, the same number as on Friday.

VACCINATION CAMPAIGN

Health-care professionals in the province administered 91,197 more doses of vaccine, including 85,917 in the past 24 hours. 

The total number of doses that have been administered in Quebec is now 7,249,641 (70 per cent of the population), with 17,309 Quebecers getting their vaccination outside of the province.

Of the total doses administered, 5,932,529 people have recieved their first dose of vaccine, and 1,329,957 have received both doses.

REGIONAL DATA

New COVID-19 cases in Montreal more than doubled Saturday with the island reporting 72 new infections (132,319 total). 

Four other regions reported more than 10 new infections: Laval (19 new, 31,483 total), the Lower Laurentians (13 new, 20,939 total), Monteregie (13 new, 51,213 total), and Outaouais (11 new, 12,426 total).

Three deaths were reported in Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Quebec (525 total), two in Quebec City (1,115 total) and Montreal (4,759 total), and one in Cote Nord (three total), and Laval (912 total).