MONTREAL -- Quebec on Thursday reported 428 new COVID-19 cases, slightly down from the day before, along with three new deaths.

Overall hospitalizations due to the virus decreased by 13 -- while 17 people were newly admitted, 30 were discharged.

There are currently 72 people in intensive care for coronavirus, with nine discharged and nine admitted in the last day.

Active cases in the province stand at 4,773 after hovering around 5,000 threshold for about a week and a half.

No variant types other than Delta have been detected in the most recent update.

RISK TO THE UNVACCINATED

Of the day's 428 new cases, 289 were among unvaccinated people.

That group's rate of illness over the last four weeks is 18.1 cases per 100,000 people, much higher than fully vaccinated Quebecers, who are seeing 2.6 cases per 100,000 people.

The risk rises much more when it comes to hospitalization, however: unvaccinated people are now 21.1 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than the vaccinated.

That number is recalculated daily by the province based on data over the last 28 days, and it takes into account the incidence rate by age group.

3,306 FIRST VACCINE DOSES NEWLY GIVEN

Thursdays are consistently the day of the week when vaccinations are highest. Today, the province reported 13,614 new shots in Quebecers' arms, continuing slow but steady growth in the vaccination rate for the last two weeks.

That included 3,306 first doses, as well as 5,718 second doses.

The share of the total population that is vaccinated has now crept above 79 per cent, including children, who are not yet eligible for the vaccine.

Of the eligible population, 90 per cent have at least one dose, and 86 per cent have both doses. 

HARDEST-HIT REGIONS

The regions with the highest incidence of coronavirus are currently outside the province's major cities.

Nunavik currently has the highest number of active cases per 100,000 people, at 132. It is followed by Chaudiere-Appalaches at 113 per 100,000.

Laval is next, with 79 cases per 100,000 people, then Montreal at 71 and the Eastern Townships at 69.