Quebec COVID-19 hospitalizations jump again as province records 26 more deaths

Montreal -

Another 203 people are in hospital Thursday to be treated for COVID-19, according to Quebec officials, who reported a positivity rate of over 30 per cent.

There are now 1,953 people in Quebec's COVID-19 wards across the province, with the number of new arrivals nearly double the number of discharges. Of those in care, 207 are in the ICU, a net increase of 16 from the day before. 

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In wake of a slew of new COVID-19 restrictions introduced by the Quebec government to limit Omicron's impact on hospitals, new projections are painting a grim picture of a challenging near-future for the health care network. 

Projections released Thursday morning by the Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) suggest that within two weeks, occupancy for COVID-19 patients could exceed 3,000 beds. That’s well above the thresholds observed in previous waves.

With Quebec reducing testing eligibility to select groups, daily infection reports provide just a partial glimpse at total infections in the province. 

Thursday, public health reported 15,874 new COVID-19 cases, though the actual number is likely much higher. 

• READ MORE: Daycare workers added to list of people who can get PCR tests in Quebec

The province also reported that 26 more people have died due to the virus. That total now stands at 11,846.

Thursday's data is based on the analysis of 56,147 tests, resulting in a positivity rate of 31.2 per cent, meaning nearly one in three tests came back positive. 

Before Omicron arrived in Quebec, the province never recorded a positivity rate higher than 16.1 per cent, according to Quebec's Public Health Institute (INSPQ). Five per cent is generally considered the threshold for uncontained spread.

The INSPQ warns, however, that "the introduction of rapid tests in the community will affect metrics on the number of tests eligible, the percentage of positivity and the number of confirmed cases. These results must henceforth be interpreted with caution."

VACCINATION CAMPAIGN: 50 AND UP CAN GET BOOSTERS

As of Jan. 6, anyone over the age of 50 can book an appointment for a COVID-19 booster shot. 

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube also announced new vaccine passport measures for people accessing alcohol and cannabis stores as a method to encourage the unvaccinated to get their shots. 

Quebec health care workers have administered a total of 15,399,427 doses, an increase of 95,350 in the last 24 hours. 

Of the eligible population aged five and up, 89 per cent have gotten at least one dose, 82 per cent have two and 20 per cent have three. 

According to public health, unvaccinated people are 7.7 times more likely to end up in hospital after catching COVID-19.

Wondering when you'll be eligible for a booster? Here are the new dates announced by the Quebec government on Jan. 6:

• Jan. 6: 50 and older
• Jan. 7: 45 and older
• Jan. 10: 40 and older
• Jan. 12: 35 and older
• Jan. 14: 25 and older
• Jan. 17: 18 and older  

 

COVID-19 CASES IN QUEBEC
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