MONTREAL -- Francois Legault is calling for more discipline among Quebecers as new cases continue to creep upwards.

Quebec health officials announced 140 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total number of cases in the province since the start of the pandemic to 62,492. 

Of them, 5,760 have died. One of the deaths took place over the past 24 hours, according to health officials, and another that took place between Aug. 24 and 29 has been added to the total. 

The province's premier said in a news conference on Monday that a "general relaxation" has been seen in recent weeks, and that everyone must strictly follow health guidelines the way they did in the spring.

"Above all -- above all -- I don't want to close schools," Legault said.

Some 81 Quebec City students are currently in isolation after COVID-19 cases confirmed at two schools

As of Monday, 112 people are being treated for COVID-19 in Quebec hospitals -- a decrease of four from Sunday. Of them, 18 are in intensive care, which is an increase of two from the number reported 24 hours earlier. 

In Montreal there are now 29,841 cases and 3,469 deaths, and increase of 96 cases and three more deaths since Friday.

Quebec reported that 55,353 people are confirmed recovered from COVID-19 as of Monday, an increase of 53 from Sunday. 

Quebec analyzed 10,679 COVID-19 tests on Aug. 29, an decrease of 2,864 from the number reported a day earlier (Quebec reports its daily testing figures from two days prior).