MONTREAL -- The day after thousands of protesters took to the streets in Montreal decrying the province's COVID-19 restrictions, Quebec announced that 1,006 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. 

The new numbers bring the total number of novel coronavirus infections in the province to 351,880 since the start of the pandemic. 

The Quebec Institute of Public Health (INSPQ) is reporting that there are now 9,425 active COVID-19 cases, which is 155 fewer than on Saturday and the lowest number since 8,932 active cases were reported March 30.

Of the total infections, 331,513 are reported to have recovered, an increase of 1,151 in 24 hours. 

The province also reported nine new deaths due to the virus but none in the past 24 hours. Of the new deaths, eight were reported between April 25 and April 30, and one before April 25.

Since the pandemic began, Quebec has reported 10,942 deaths due to the disease. 

Hospitalizations continued to drop on Sunday with the province saying there are four fewer patients receiving care for COVID-19 in Quebec hospitals for a total of 574, a drop of 90 patients in one week. Of those, 157 people are in the intensive care ware, a decrease of two, and 10 fewer than a week ago.

On April 30, 34,405 samples were analyzed. 

VACCINATION CAMPAIGN

The province says that 36.8 per cent of the population has now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. 

Quebec reported that there were 49,609 vaccine doses administered in the past 24 hours, and 946 administered before May 1. 

In total, 3,218,214 vaccine doses have been administered. 

REGIONAL DATA

Of the new infections, the highest increases were reported in Montreal (277 new, 125,881 total), Monteregie (155 new, 48,477 total), Chaudiere-Appalaches (117 new, 16,955 total), Quebec City (87 new, 31,334 total) and Laval (83 new, 29,855 total).

Four regions in Quebec reported higher numbers of new cases on Sunday than they did on Saturday.

More than half of the number of new deaths were reported in Quebec City (five new, 1,088 total). Two deaths were reported in Monteregie (1,538 total) and one death was reported in Montreal (4,681 total), and Chaudiere-Appalaches (325 total).