Quebec COVID-19 hospitalizations, deaths rise as ICU numbers drop
An additional 16 Quebecers are in hospital to be treated for COVID-19, a total of 3,299 people.
However, intensive care admissions are down by 10, for a total of 263 people receiving care.
Of the new hospitalizations, eight are under the age of four (an age group not eligible for vaccination).
In addition, 26 people under the age of 59 and 43 people aged 60 and older are unvaccinated or received their first dose less than 14 days ago.
Five people under the age of 59 and five people aged 60 and up have one dose of vaccine.
Another 26 people under the age of 59 and 66 people aged 60 and above received their second dose of vaccine more than seven days ago and eight people under the age of 59 and 67 people aged 60 and older received their third dose more than seven days ago.
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé points out vaccination does not completely prevent infection, but it does decrease the risk of dire consequences.
The province's health officials also confirmed 52 more deaths, a total of 12,851.
The number of active infections is now 47,083, with 1,602 outbreaks.
The province's seven-day average is 5,326.
To date, 778,503 people have recovered from the illness.
On Jan. 22, a total of 27,290 samples were analyzed.
Quebec reported 2,807 new recorded COVID-19 cases Monday, bringing the total number of people infected to 838,437 since the start of the pandemic.
Public health officials note the actual number of new infections is probably much higher as they have asked people with mild symptoms to stay home and isolate to give those in high-risk groups access to PCR testing.
VACCINATION CAMPAIGN
Quebec's health care professionals administered 65,123 more vaccinations in the province; 62,562 doses in the last 24 hours and 2,561 doses before Jan. 23 for a total of 17,165,403 doses.
Outside Quebec, 268,018 doses were given, for a cumulative total of 17,433,421.
As of Jan. 23, a total of 7,353,224 Quebecers, or 90 per cent of the eligible population aged five and up, have received their first dose of a vaccine and 6,772,259 people, or 83 per cent, have received two.
Of those eligible for a third dose, 3,239,016 Quebecers, or 40 per cent, have received it.
VARIANT TRACKER
According to the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ), the number of Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant cases is now 7,052, up by 52.
The numbers currently stand at 45,665 Alpha (B.1.1.7), 460 Bêta (B.1.351), 610 Gamma (P.1) and 33,364 Delta (B.1.167.2).
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Minister said 'hundreds' of Canadians might use Gaza visa. More than 7,500 applied.
An immigration lawyer in Toronto says new figures from the federal government show just how 'grudging' Ottawa's efforts have been to rescue Canadians' family members from the war in the Gaza Strip.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Florida deputies who fatally shot U.S. airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.