MONTREAL -- The number of Quebecers in intensive care due to COVID-19 rose significantly in the last 24 hours as the province recorded 703 more cases of the virus Wednesday.

This brings the total number of infections since the start of the pandemic to 299,450.

ICUs in Quebec saw a significant bump in patients, with 16 more people receiving care for COVID-19 for a total of 107. Overall, there are a total of 532 people in hospital fighting the virus, one fewer than on Tuesday, according to the province’s latest data.

Of those who tested positive, 282,047 are reported to have recovered, an increase of 611.

The Quebec Institute of Public Health says that there are 6,833 active COVID-19 cases in the province, 80 more than 24 hours ago. 

The province also added 13 deaths due to the disease, but noted the total number of deaths “amounts to 10,570 due to the withdrawal of 1 death not attributable to COVID-19.” There were no deaths in the last 24 hours, nine deaths between March 10 and March 15 and four deaths before March 10, the province said. 

On Tuesday, 28,812 doses of the vaccine were administered, bringing that total to 804,806 (9.5 per cent of the population).

Health-care professionals in the province analyzed 33,728 samples March 15. (Quebec releases its testing data from two days prior to its daily updates). 

REGIONAL DATA

Montreal was the most affected region, with 316 more cases for a total of 111,511 since the beginning of the pandemic. 

Next was Lanaudiere (73 new, 21,181 total), Monteregie (71 new, 42,984 total), and Laval (50 new, 26,044 total).