MONTREAL -- More people who represent a high risk of hospitalization have been infected with COVID-19 in Quebec, the National Institute of Excellence in Health and Social Services (INESSS) said.
The new numbers mean some hospitals in areas outside of Montreal may exceed capacity in the coming weeks.
In its weekly update on the risks of hospitalization and on the projections of hospital needs, published on Friday, INESSS underlines that the number of new novel coronavirus cases in Quebec increased by 12 per cent in the week of Nov. 23 to Nov. 29, compared to the previous week.
In addition, 464 people with the disease during that time were at high risk of hospitalization, 19 per cent higher than the average for the past four weeks.
The increase INESSS notes should not exceed hospital capacity of the Montreal metropolitan area. It should be sufficient for the next month.
On the other hand, elsewhere in the province, INESSS does not rule out that hospital capacity may be exceeded in the coming weeks.
The institute also warns that "the room to manoeuvre for certain hospitals in the most affected regions could be further weakened."
Minister of Health and Social Services Christian Dube said in a news release that the most recent data published by INESSS justifies the government's decision to cancel Christmas gatherings in red zones.
"Unlike the past few weeks, when the overall picture of the pandemic showed relative stability, in recent days we have seen worrying signs of the situation worsening, especially with regard to hospitalizations in certain regions," he said reminding Quebecers of the importance of making efforts to slow the spread of the virus.
Quebec reported 1,345 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday and added 28 deaths to the province's toll. Hospitalizations increased by 24 - to 761 in the province - and 97 people were in intensive care, a decrease of two from the previous day.
-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published on Dec. 4, 2020.
