MONTREAL -- Quebec health authorities reported 1,897 new cases of COVID-19 in the province on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 169,173. Of them, 17,392 are active.

The province also reported that 1,315 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered on Tuesday, for a total of 1,613. So far, 743 vaccines were administered in Montreal and the other 870, in Quebec City. 

Wednesday's update also saw Quebec add another 43 deaths linked to the disease to its total, 13 of which occurred in the past 24 hours. Another 25 are from between Dec. 9 and 14, three are from before Dec. 9 and two more occurred at an unknown date. 

After removing one death from the total because it was not attributable to COVID-19, Quebec reported that a total of 7,613 people have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began. 

The City of Montreal reported the highest number of new cases in Quebec on Wednesday, with 626 (total 59,539), followed by Monteregie, with 257 (total 23,580), Quebec City, with 214 (total 14,774), and Laval, with 156 (total 13,731).

The Lanaudiere region also reported 110 new cases on Wednedsay (total 13,164), the Laurentians, 96 (total 9,068), and Chaudiere-Appalaches, 95 (total 6,722).

Hospitalizations increased by 16 from Tuesday to Wednesday and there are now 975 people being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals across the province. Of them, 128 are in the intensive care ward, which is three more than Tuesday's total. 

Another 1,274 people were confirmed recovered from COVID-19 on Wednedsay, for a total of 144,168.

Quebec reported that it completed analyses of 32,873 COVID-19 samples on Dec. 14 (Quebec reports its daily testing figures from two days prior).