MONTREAL -- After reporting back-to-back days of fewer than 1,000 cases of COVID-19 in Quebec, the province reported 1,094 new infections on Wednesday as hospitalizations dropped significantly in the past 24 hours.

Wednesday also marked the first time since April 1 that active cases in the province were below 10,000. The Institut national de sante publique du Quebec (INSPQ) reported 9,948 active cases, a decrease of 59 from the day before.

New figures show hospitalizations decreased by 24 in the past day for a total of 643, while the number of patients in the ICU also fell by nine. There are now a total of 161 people in the ICU.

Another 10 people have died due to the virus, with deaths now totalling 10,908 since the start of the pandemic. Three of the deaths were in the last 24 hours, eight were from April 21 and 26, and one was from April 21.

Health officials analyzed 40,379 samples on April 26.

Of the people who have tested positive since March 2020, a total of 326,834 have recovered from the virus, an increase of 1,143 from the day before.

VACCINATIONS

Quebec is inching closer to administering 3 million first doses since the campaign started. On Wednesday, the province reported 48,492 vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours, bringing that total 2,967,209 doses.

The province has received a total of 3,298,629 vaccine doses with more coming. More than 137,000 doses of the Moderna shots are expected this week and yesterday Quebec received 17,550 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, fulfilling the 231,660 doses that were expected this week.

To date, 34.2 per cent of Quebecers have received a first shot of the vaccine.

REGIONAL BREAKDOWN

Regions with the most new daily cases include Montreal with 294 new cases (124,726 total), Monteregie with 140 (47,946 total), Chaudiere-Appalaches with 128 new (16,508), Quebec City with 116 new (30,898), and the Outaouais with 92 new (11,169 total).

Quebec City recorded the most new deaths with four, according to the province. The Eastern Townships added two new deaths, while Montreal, the Outaouais, Chaudiere-Appalaches, and Monteregie each added one new death.