Quebec reports 1,196 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, highest since April
Quebec health officials are reporting almost 1,200 new cases of COVID-19 in the province on Wednesday, a major jump from recent days.
Health Minister Christian Dube first revealed the new case count in a news conference in Quebec City Wednesday morning.
The exact numbers were released at 11 a.m., showing 1,196 new cases in the province, and two deaths.
It's the highest daily count of new cases in Quebec since April 24.
Montreal public health officials held a news conference on Omicron and the state of the situation, urging people to get their kids vaccinated quickly, in clinics, without waiting for in-school vaccinations later this month.
Province-wide, net hospitalizations went up by 12, for a total of 239 Quebecers currently hospitalized with the coronavirus. There are 52 people in intensive care, an increase of one.
According to the province's daily number-crunching, unvaccinated people are currently 15.8 times more likely to be hospitalized with the virus than the vaccinated.
The number of active cases also continues to increase steadily, with the most recent count at 8,447 active infections.
The positivity rate is also on a general slow upswing and currently stands at 3.1 per cent, up from a recent low of 1.3 per cent on Oct. 25.
EASTERN TOWNSHIPS VERY HARD-HIT
Regionally, Nunavik continues to show the highest rate by far of infections, with 763.2 active infections per 100,000 people.
However, among the rest of the province, the Eastern Townships stands out as being in crisis as well. It currently has 248 active cases per 100,000, much more than the next-highest region, which is Chaudiere-Appalaches, with a rate of 140.
Laval, Montreal, Lanaudiere and the Laurentians also all posted rates of between 110 and 130.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
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.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
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.
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.
'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.
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.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.