MONTREAL -- Quebec public health authorities announced Wednesday that in the past 24 hours, 66 more people have tested positive for COVID-19. 

The province also announced 24 deaths, six of which happened in the past day. The other 17 deaths occured before June 23, according to authorities, meaning the total number of people who have died since the pandemic began is now 5,527.

The total number of positive cases in the province is now 55,524.

The number of hospitalizations continues to drop with 13 fewer patients receiving treatment in Quebec hospitals for a total of 422. Of those, 33 patients are in the intensive care ward, a decrease of five from 24 hours ago.

The number of people who have recovered from the virus rose by 151 Wednesday for a total of 24,949.

The number of tests analyzed June 29 was 6,763, which is 1,339 more than the day prior. (Quebec reports its daily testing figures from two days prior).