COVID-19 Quebec: Hospitalizations up by 37, with 17 more deaths reported
Quebec's public health officials reported 17 new deaths due to COVID-19 on Friday, with an increase of 37 patients in hospital.
The province also reported an additional 3,182 positive PCR tests for COVID-19 from 19,713 samples, making the positivity rate 18.4 per cent.
There have been 910,951 positive PCR tests reported in the province.
In addition, there were 1,707 self-declared rapid tests from Thursday, bringing the total number of self-declared tests to 112,895.
There are now 24,769 active cases declared across Quebec and 586 outbreaks.
The actual number of positive COVID-19 in Quebec is likely "eight to 10 times those numbers," according to what Dr. Luc Boileau, Quebec's interim public health director, said on Thursday, adding that PCR testing doesn't provide a full picture of the COVID-19 situation in Quebec.
The 17 newly reported deaths bring the total to 14,382 since the start of the pandemic.
Another 177 people were admitted to hospital and 140 were discharged in the last 24 hours, resulting in the net increase of 37 hospitalizations. There are now 1,275 people receiving care in hospital.
The number of people in intensive care was 62 on Friday, a decrease of four from the day before.
Health-care workers analyzed 21,139 samples on March 30.
The province was in the midst of a sixth wave of COVID-19 amid a surge of cases and hospitalizations, driven by the highly contagious BA.2 variant. It's now the dominant variant in Quebec.
- This is a developing story and will be updated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.