MONTREAL -- Quebec reached a troubling and grim milestone Wednesday in its battle against the COVID-19 pandemic when the province announced that over 1,500 people are now being treated for the disease in hospital. 

The province reported an increase of 19 people hospitalized since Tuesday, bringing the total number of hospitalizations to 1,516. Of those, 229 people are in the intensive care ward, an increase of eight.

In the past 24 hours, the province's health-care authorities reported that 2,071 more people have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of positive cases in the province to 234,695 since the start of the pandemic.

The seven-day average for increases in cases is now 2,385 and the Quebec Institute of Public Health is reporting that there are 23,695 active COVID-19 cases.

Of the total cases, 202,166 people have now recovered, an increase of 2,246.

Quebec also reported 35 new deaths, including seven in the past 24 hours, 23 between Jan. 6 and Jan. 11, four before Jan. 6, and one at an unknown date. 

The province also found after an investigation that two deaths previously attributed to COVID-19 needed to be removed from the total deaths due to the disease in the province. That total is now 8,815.

On Tuesday, 7,855 doses of vaccine were administered, which is 797 more than the 7,058 doses administered Monday. The total number of vaccinations administered in the province is now 107,365 and Quebec says it has received 156,325 doses.

Health-care professionals analyzed 32,350 samples Jan. 11. 

REGIONAL BREAKDOWN

Montreal surpassed 4,000 deaths due to COVID-19 Wednesday when the island reported nine more (4,001 total).

The island also reported 727 new cases of the novel coronavirus (83,210 total) to lead all regions followed by Monteregie (353 new, 33,262 total), Laval (165 new, 19,704 total), Quebec City (147 new, 19,884 total), Lanaudiere (137 new, 17,092 total), Chaudiere-Appalaches (130 new, 9,912 total), the Laurentians (123 new, 12,790 total) and the Eastern Townships (118 new, 9,480 total).

Eight deaths were reported in Monteregie (1,163 total); five in Quebec City (791 total); and two each in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (239 total), the Eastern Townships (217 total), and Lanaudiere (421 total).

One death was reported each in Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Quebec (388 total), Outaouais (137 total), Chaudiere-Appalaches (208 total), Laval (786 total), and the Laurentians (386 total).