COVID-19 in Quebec: Hospitalizations drop to 2,051, more than 7,300 health workers absent
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 decreased again on Friday with 68 fewer people receiving care as the province reports 7,337 health-care workers are absent for reasons related to the virus.
The number of health-care worker absences, which can be for several reasons including isolating after testing positive or waiting for test results, dropped from 7,506 on Thursday.
The Ministry of Health reported the total number of hospitalizations fell to 2,051 after 127 people were admitted and 195 people were discharged from hospital in the last 24 hours.
ICU cases also dropped to 60, a decrease of four from the day before.
Another 22 people are reported to have died due to COVID-19, the ministry said, which brings the total to 15,106.
The update from the province also said 1,243 people tested positive for the coronavirus in the last 24 hours through PCR testing, which is reserved for high-priority segments of the population. An additional 283 rapid antigen test results were logged with the health ministry, which reported 240 of those tests were positive.
Health-care workers analyzed 16,518 samples on May 14.
The positivity rate improved from Thursday, dropping to 9 per cent from 11.6 per cent on Wednesday. Meanwhile, active cases and active outbreaks both dropped across the province to 18,896 and 920, respectively.
VACCINATION UPDATE
Health-care workers administered 28,063 vaccine doses into people's arms Thursday, an increase of more than 6,000 shots from the day before. An additional 327,140 shots have been given to Quebecers outside of the province, for a cumulative total of 19,935,642 jabs.
To date, health-care workers have given out 7,432,543 first doses covering 91 per cent of the eligible population, 4,434,611 third doses covering 54 per cent of the population, and 876,437 fourth doses covering 11 per cent of the population.
The majority of Thursday's shots (23,681) were for fourth doses, also known as "second booster" shots, which are now available to all Quebec adults who want one.
Data for second doses is no longer published on the province's COVID-19 dashboard.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.