Quebec adds 3,067 COVID-19 infections despite reduced testing, hospitalizations up 47
Quebec's COVID-19 positivity rate was at 17.1 per cent on Wednesday as the province logged 3,067 more positive PCR tests out of 17,616 samples analyzed.
Hospitalizations also saw a bump.
In addition to the PCR tests, 1,334 Quebecers reported they had tested positive on a rapid test.
Active cases in Quebec stood at 21,587, the most concurrent infections since Feb. 23. Public health also reported 499 active outbreaks.
There are now 1,200 people in hospital with COVID-19, an increase of 47 from the day before.
Of those in care, 60 people are in the ICU, down three from the day before.
Quebec's public health insititute predicted a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations as Omicron's BA.2 variant accounts for more cases. On Wednesday, the government announced it would extend workplace bonuses for health-care workers for four more weeks at least to boost hospital workforces.
Eight more people have been reported dead due to the virus, bringing that total to 14,353.
REGIONAL BREAKDOWN
Most of Wednesday's active cases are being reported in Montreal, where at least 3,871 people are infected with COVID-19. Next was Quebec City, where there are 2,807 active cases, followed by Monteregie, with 2,591.
Nearly one in 100 people in the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine region have COVID-19 -- the highest rate per capita in the province. As of Wednesday, there were 904 active cases there.
Other regions reporting high per-capita rates include Terres-Cries-de-la-Baie-James (one in 114 people), and Côte-Nord (one in 143).
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