Quebec COVID-19 health-care absences on a swift decline, dropping below 4,000
There's good news on the health-care staffing front in Quebec, with the number of COVID-19 absences on a steep decline right now.
Just under a week ago, the number of health-care staff absent for reasons related to the virus dropped below 5,000. Only six days later, it's dropped below 4,000 -- it currently stands at 3,998.
That could also indicate that more people are staying on the job, however, with symptoms or while awaiting a test result. On May 14, the province stopped giving paid leave for this kind of preventative self-isolation, leading some health workers to worry more people would stay on the job when they shouldn't.
Other indicators are generally positive. Quebec reported another decrease in COVID-19 hospitalizations on Thursday, with 29 fewer people overall in hospital with the virus.
That brings the total hospitalizations to 1,315, with 61 people newly admitted and 90 discharged in the last 24 hours.
Intensive-care cases also continue to drop slowly, with that total down by two on Thursday for a total of 43.
Another 12 people have died, the province said.The number of new cases has also dropped, even though that metric is no longer reliable, since most people can't get PCR tests.
Of those who did do PCR tests, however, there were 705 new cases on the most recent day, plus 171 people who self-reported positive at-home tests.
The positivity rate of PCR tests shows no progress over the last 10 days or so, however -- it has hovered around the same point, around 6.5 per cent, and saw a slight uptick to 6.7 per cent on Thursday.
THIRD-DOSE COVERAGE STILL LOW
Vaccinations are continuing at a slower pace, with just under 10,000 new doses given out in the last 24 hours.
Most of those shots were fourth doses given to people over 60. At this point, 41 per cent of people in that agre group have a fourth dose, but there's been slow progress on the all-important third dose, which plays a big role in protecting people of all ages against the newer variants.
As of Thursday, only 55 per cent of Quebecers have that third dose, including just 39 per cent of those aged 18 to 39, and just 62 per cent of those 40 to 59.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.