MONTREAL -- With Quebec entering its month-long curfew Saturday night, the province reported Sunday that 2,588 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. 

The number is below the 2,645 seven-day average for daily cases, and much lower than the record number set Saturday when the province reported 3,127 new cases.

Quebec has now reported 228,821 positive COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. Of those, 195,663 are reported to have recovered from the disease, which is 2,684 more than 24 hours ago.

The Quebec Institute of Public Health reports that there are now 24,454 active COVID-19 cases in the province.

Quebec also reported 39 more deaths due to the disease Sunday with 14 occurring in the past 24 hours, 23 reported between Jan. 3 and Jan. 8, and two occurring before Jan. 3.

In the province, 8,686 people are reported to have died due to the novel coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.

The province's health-care professionals administered 9,264 vaccinations Saturday, which is 3,837 fewer than the 13,101 administered Friday. The total number of vaccines that have been administered in Quebec is now 84,387.

The number of people receiving treatment in the province's hospitals decreased by 12 Sunday reducing the total number of COVID-19 patients in the province to1,380. Of those, 203 are in the intensive care ward, a decrease of three.

On Jan. 8, 35,114 samples were analyzed.

REGIONAL DATA

Montreal remained the hardest hit region in the province reporting 1,071 new COVID-19 cases (81,136 total), and 10 more deaths (3,977 total).

Monteregie was also hard hit reporting 358 more positive cases (32,426 total) and eight more deaths (1,138 total).

Other regions with a high daily increase in cases were Laval with 216 new (19,047 total), the Laurentians with 199 new (12,450 total), the Eastern Townships with 135 new (9,187 total), Lanaudiere with 133 new (16,669 total), Chaudiere-Appalaches with 122 new (9,596 total) and Quebec City with 111 new (19,498 total).

Quebec City reported six more deaths (759 total), while five deaths were reported in the Laurentians, four deaths were reported in the Eastern Townships (205 total); and three deaths were reported in Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Quebec (385 total).

One death was reported in Chaudiere-Appalaches (204 total), Laval (783 total), and Lanaudiere (411 total).