MONTREAL -- Quebec had a double dose of bad news in its battle against the COVID-19 pandemic Saturday.

The province broke its record for the number of new cases in a 24-hour period when officials reported 1,480 new cases. The prior record was set Thursday when 1,464 new cases were reported.

The total number of deaths due to the disease reached a grim milestone as well, as they surpassed 7,000 to start the weekend.

The province reported 37 new deaths bringing the total number of people who have died due to the novel coronavirus to 7,021.

Quebec reported that 10 of those deaths occurred in the past 24 hours, 23 were reported between Nov. 21 and Nov. 26, two occurred before Nov. 21 and two occurred at an unknown date.

The total number of positive COVID-19 cases in the province since the start of the pandemic is now 139,643.

The Quebec Institute of Public health reports that there are now 11,716 active cases, and that 1,179 more people have recovered from the disease, bringing that total to 120,906.

The number of hospitalizations increased by nine Saturday, and there are now 678 people being treated in the province's hospitals for COVID-19. Of those, 93 are in the intensive care ward, an increase of three.

Health-care professionals analyzed 29,652 samples on Nov. 26. (Quebec releases its testing data from two days prior to its daily updates).

REGIONAL DATA

The Island of Montreal also set a grim milestone Saturday, surpassing 50,000 positive cases.

Montreal reported 429 new cases, and 50,319 people have now tested positive for the novel coronavirus on the island since the start of the pandemic. 

Other regions with triple-digit increases in cases were Monteregie with 215 new (19,800 total), Quebec City with 128 new cases (11,449 total), Lanaudiere with 120 new cases (11,077 total), Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean with 117 new cases (4,988 total), and Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Quebec with 107 new cases (6,825 total).

Montreal also reported the highest increase in deaths due to the disease Saturday.

Eight deaths were reported in Montreal (3,618 total); seven in Quebec City (433 total); six in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (122 total); four in Monteregie (856 total); three in Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Quebec (266 total), and Lanaudiere (324 total); two in the Eastern Townships (62 total), and the Laurentians (336 total); and one death was reported in Bas-Saint-Laurent (18 total), and Outaouais (80 total).

ACROSS CANADA

As of noon EST on Saturday, there are 362,362 confirmed COVID-19 cases across Canada. 

The following is a regional breakdown of cases and deaths:

  • Quebec: 139,643 confirmed (including 7,021 deaths, 120,906 resolved)
  • Ontario: 113,038 confirmed (including 3,624 deaths, 95,876 resolved)
  • Alberta: 53,105 confirmed (including 519 deaths, 38,369 resolved)
  • British Columbia: 30,884 confirmed (including 395 deaths, 21,304 resolved)
  • Manitoba: 15,632 confirmed (including 280 deaths, 6,487 resolved)
  • Saskatchewan: 7,691 confirmed (including 44 deaths, 4,384 resolved)
  • Nova Scotia: 1,257 confirmed (including 65 deaths, 1,078 resolved)
  • New Brunswick: 481 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 363 resolved)
  • Newfoundland and Labrador: 331 confirmed (including 4 deaths, 296 resolved)
  • Nunavut: 159 confirmed (including 8 resolved)
  • Prince Edward Island: 70 confirmed (including 68 resolved)
  • Yukon: 42 confirmed (including 1 death, 29 resolved)
  • Northwest Territories: 15 confirmed (including 15 resolved)
  • Repatriated Canadians: 13 confirmed (including 13 resolved)

Total: 362,361 (0 presumptive, 362,361 confirmed including 11,960 deaths, 289,196 resolved)

-- with files from The Canadian Press.