MONTREAL -- Quebec recorded a second day with an unusually low COVID-19 case count on Tuesday, reporting 797 new infections. 

But there have been 16 new deaths, the highest single-day number since Feb. 12, and hospitalizations and intensive-care cases have also begun to rise again slightly after recent declines.

Of the deaths, three took place in the last 24 hours, 12 between April 27 and May 2, and one before April 27. One death was also removed from the province's total count after being found to be not attributable to COVID-19.

Hospitalizations rose by six, to a total of 594 Quebecers in hospital. Four more people are intensive care, for a total of 155.

Before Monday, hospitalizations had been dropping for a week, while ICU numbers had decreased for four days in a row.

Quebec currently has 8,892 active cases of the virus, the first time since March that the number of active cases has dropped below 9,000.

The overall case count is also the lowest since March. It's one less than Monday, which saw 798 new cases.

The province processed 23,897 COVID-19 tests on Sunday, the last day reported (there is a two-day lag in reporting testing numbers). The positivity rate stands at 3.4 per cent, higher than the last two weeks.

VACCINATIONS

The province, which opened a new drive-through vaccination site this morning, reported 52,141 people newly vaccinated with a first dose, including 50,379 doses in the last 24 hours.

That brings the provincial vaccination total to 3,308,542.

Overall, the province has received 3,843,089 doses. So far this week, 394,290 of the 444,600 doses of Pfizer that were expected were sent to the regions.

Another 50,310 doses are still expected to arrive today.

REGIONAL DATA

Montreal recorded the highest number of new cases at 190, followed by Chaudiere-Appalaches at 121.

The other regions all recorded new case counts under 100: Monteregie (83); Quebec City (75); Laval (62); Bas-Saint-Laurent (49) and Eastern Townships (48), followed by other regions.

On Monday, Quebec reported just two new deaths. Of the total of 18 deaths newly reported over the two days, the Outaouais had the greatest share, with four deaths. That brings that region to 201 deaths over the course of the pandemic.

There were also three deaths each in Quebec City (1,091 total), Chaudiere-Appalaches (328 total), and Montreal (3,684 total).

There were two more deaths in Mauricie-Centre-du-Quebec (511 total), one in Bas-St-Laurent (38 total), and one in Monteregie (1,539 total).