MONTREAL -- There were 420 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Montreal Saturday and 33 people have died in the past 24 hours.

The city's health authorities announced that there are now 18,855 confirmed cases on the island with 1,760 total deaths.

Quebec director of public health Horacio Arruda announced Friday that a massive new COVID-19 screening strategy will begin in the Montreal area to better measure community transmission. 

Montreal is the site of more than half of the COVID-19 cases and deaths in the province. 

The city announced Saturday that 141 public retirement homes and long-term care facilities (CHSLDs) have at least one confirmed case within their facility. That is an increase of eight.

The health and social services in the east (CIUSSS de l'Est-de-l'Ile-de-Montreal) and north (CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'Ile-de-Montreal) remain the most taxed regions with over half the cases on the island at 10,087.

Montreal North remains the hardest hit borough with 1,729 cases and a rate of 2,052.6 per 100,000 people.

Montreal's public transit authority, the STM, announced it would be providing masks for transit users to wear.

Montreal schools, daycares and many non-essential businesses will now reopen May 25.