MONTREAL -- Montreal has another 349 positive cases of COVID-19, city authorities reported Friday—a number roughly in line with the daily increases recorded over the last week.
The city also recorded 43 new deaths. Of the 43 deceased, 41 were over 70 years old. There are currently 169 long-term care homes or public retirement homes with outbreaks of the virus.
The additions bring Montreal to a new total of 23,413 COVID cases and 2,454 deaths.
The hardest-hit health regions continue to be the northern and eastern parts of the city, with the eastern CIUSSS recording 123 new cases versus the northern region’s 103. The western region was third highest with 55 new cases.
However, northern Montreal is still recording the island’s highest mortality rates from COVID-10, with 132.3 deaths per 100,000 people. The east is nearly as high.
And the Centre-Sud health region has a relatively high mortality rate, despite its lower number of cases. It has seen 123.7 deaths from the virus per 100,000 people.
Premier François Legault spent part of Friday outside a Montreal metro station with two Canadiens players, including Jonathan Drouin, handing out masks - and also wearing their own Habs-themed masks. They were reportedly telling passers-by that "masks are no longer for goalies."
Legault has been trying to encourage Quebecers to begin wearing masks in public, particularly in Montreal, and last week he promised to give $6 million to public transit networks to purchase masks and hand them out.
See Montreal's full statistical breakdown by age and region here:
