MONTREAL -- As four regions in Quebec go from orange to red zones meaning more restrictions, the province reported more than 1,200 positive COVID-19 cases in a single day for the first time in almost two months. 

Quebec reported Thursday that there have been 1,271 more positive COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 312,362 since the start of the pandemic.

It's the first time the number of new cases has surpassed 1,200 since Feb. 5 when the Institute of Quebec Public Health (INSPQ) reported 1,215 cases that day.

The average number of new cases per day in the past week is now 989.

The INSPQ is reporting that there are 9,038 active COVID-19 cases in the province, which is 520 more than on Wednesday, and the first time the active case count has exceeded 9,000 since Feb. 19.

Of the total number of infections, 292,648 are reported to have recovered from the disease, 742 more than on Wednesday.

Quebec also added nine new deaths, including one in the past 24 hours, five between March 25 and March 30, and three at an unknown date. 

Since the pandemic began in Quebec, the province has reported 10,676 deaths due to COVID-19.

The province reported Thursday that there are two more people receiving care in Quebec hospitals for a total of 487 COVID-19 patients. Of those, 119 people are in intensive care wards, a decrease of one. 

Quebec health-care professionals administered 41,406 more doses of the vaccine, bringing the total number of vaccinations to 1,391,649, which is 16.4 per cent of the population. 

On March 30, a total of 41,053 COVID-19 tests were analyzed.

REGIONAL DATA

Case numbers spiked in several regions of Quebec including those that went from orange to red zones Wednesday. 

Quebec City reported 261 new COVID-19 cases (24,398 total) while Outaouais (126 new, 7,660 total), Chaudiere-Appalaches (86 new, 12,421 total), and Bas-Saint-Laurent (59 new, 2,032 total) all continued to see higher than normal numbers of new cases.

Montreal reported 393 new cases (116,200 total), Monteregie added 100 new (44,376), and Laval added 78 (27,279 total). Those three numbers are close to the averages for their respective regions.

Of the new deaths, five were reported in Montreal (4,623 total), two in Quebec City (1,018 total), and one in Outaouais (174 total), Lanaudiere (502 total).