MONTREAL -- The percentage of total COVID-19 cases in Quebec among people over the age of 70 is increasing, but the number is significantly below what was reported during the peak of the pandemic's first wave.

Data from Quebec's national public health institute indicates 18.4 per cent of Quebecers with active COVID-19 cases since Nov. 22 were over the age of 70, up from 14.9 per cent the previous week.

But that number is far below what was reported during the peak of cases last spring, when seniors over 70 years old accounted for 35.2 per cent of total COVID infections in Quebec.

Dr. Quoc Dinh Nguyen, a gerontologist and epidemiologist at the Universite de Montreal hospital centre, said in a recent interview he's worried about the mental health of older adults.

He said seniors are not only the most likely age group to die from the novel coronavirus, but they are also most at risk to having their lives disrupted by efforts to contain it.

Health authorities say there are 18 private seniors residences where more than 25 per cent of residents have active cases of COVID-19.

Quebec is reporting 1,100 new COVID-19 cases and 28 more deaths attributed to the virus, including 12 that occurred in the past 24 hours.

The province has reported a total of 135,430 cases of COVID-19 and 6,915 deaths linked to the virus.

-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2020.