MONTREAL -- Quebec public health officials announced Sunday that 141 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

The total number of positive cases in the province is now 59,599.

Authorities also announced that one more person has died due to the novel coronavirus, and two died before July 25. Two of the deaths were reported on the Island of Montreal and one in the Lower Laurentians. 

The total number of deaths in the province due to COVID-19 is now 5,681 with 3,443 (60 per cent) of those occurring in Montreal, the country's COVID-19 epicentre.

Montreal has now reported 28,904 positive cases, which is 61 more than on Saturday. The Lower Laurentians recorded 23 new cases (3,920 total), and Monteregie added 19 (8,825 total).

The number of hospitalizations dropped again Sunday with five fewer patients receiving treatment in Quebec's hospitals for a total of 172. Of those, 17 people are in the intensive care ward, a decrease of one. 

On July 31, 14,934 samples were analyzed by Quebec health-care professionals, which is 3,503 less than were done July 30. (Quebec releases testing data two days prior to the daily updates).