Quebec COVID-19 hospitalizations drop for second day in a row
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Quebec dropped by 60 on Friday, and ICU numbers decreased by 20.
Premier Francois Legault spoke about the levelling off of hospitalizations on Thursday, but said the hospital system is still very fragile, and it's too soon to ease public health rules.
"Finally we're seeing a decrease in the overall number of hospitalizations," he said. "Still, we're at the worst point so far in the pandemic."
The total number of hospitalizations is now 3,351 with 346 patients checking in for care and 406 being discharged. Of the new patients, 19 were under five years old when checking in and ineligible for a vaccine dose, 77 were unvaccinated or received a dose of vaccine less than two weeks prior, 133 received two doses of vaccine, 104 received three doses and 13 received one dose more than two weeks prior.
Nineteen patients were transferred to or admitted into ICU wards, which now are caring for a total of 265 patients. Of the new ICU patients, six were unvaccinated, nine were double-vaccinated and four received a third booster shot before being admitted.
The health ministry says unvaccinated people are 5.7 times more likely to require hospitalizations and 12.2 times more likely to wind up in an ICU.
This is based on 4,383,646 Quebecers being double-vaccinated, 2,140,959 have received a third booster dose, and 1,073,357 are unvaccinated.
JUST UNDER 60 NEW DEATHS
Quebec continues to report high numbers of deaths due to the novel coronavirus with 59 deaths added on Friday.
Since the pandemic began, 12,698 people have died due to the disease.
ACTIVE CASES, OUTBREAKS CONTINUE TO DROP
The province also reported 5,995 more infections, though that number is lower than the real number of infections, as screening centres are reserved for priority clientele.
Since the pandemic began, the province has reported 824,942 COVID-19 cases, including 761,215 recoveries.
The Quebec Institute of Public Health (INSPQ) is monitoring 51,029 active cases, 1,030 fewer than 24 hours ago, and the Minister of Health is watching 1,611 active outbreaks, 21 fewer.
VACCINATION CAMPAIGN
Quebec health-care professionals administered 113,829 more COVID-19 vaccines, including 108,305 in the past 24 hours.
Since the vaccination campaign began, 16,915,403 doses of vaccine have been administered in the province, and 264,806 Quebecers got their jab out of province.
The province says 37 per cent of the eligible population has received a booster shot.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.