MONTREAL -- The number of new cases was lower Sunday than on Saturday, and hospitalization and intensive care numbers dropped.

Quebec reported that 1,014 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours bringing the overall number of infections to 344,808 since the start of the pandemic. 

Of the total number, 323,086 are reported to have recovered from the disease. 

The Quebec Institute of Public Health (INSPQ) reported Sunday that the number of active COVID-19 cases dropped below 11,000 for the first time since April 5.

There are now 10,844 active novel coronavirus cases, which is 414 less than on Saturday.

The number of people who have died due to the disease increased by nine, including six deaths in the past 24 hours, one between April 18 and April 23, and two before April 18.

Since the pandemic began, Quebec has reported 10,878 deaths due to COVID-19.

Hospitalizations in the province decreased for the fourth straight day with Quebec reporting eight fewer patients receiving care in the province's hospitals for a total of 654. Of those, 165 people are intensive care wards, a decrease of eight.

On April 23, 38,098 samples were analyzed. 

VACCINATION CAMPAIGN

After topping 80,000 vaccinations per day, Quebec's number of vaccine doses administered dropped Sunday with the province adding 64,949 doses of vaccine administered including 63,763 in the past 24 hours and 1,186 doses before April 24.

Quebec health-care professionals have now administered 2,828,484 vaccine doses, which is 32.8 per cent of the population.

REGIONAL BREAKDOWN

Montreal (256 new, 124,014 total), Monteregie (128 new, 47,581 total) Chaudiere-Appalaches (95 new, 16,189 total), Quebec City (92 new, 30,561 total), and Outaouais (83 new, 10,970 total) reported the highest numbers of new cases, but all those regions reported fewer new cases Sunday than they did on Saturday. 

Three deaths were reported in Montreal (4,671 total), two in Chaudiere-Appalaches (314 total) and Monteregie (1,531 total, and one death was reported in the Eastern Towships (331 total), and Laval (897 total).