Quebec reports 428 new COVID-19 cases; unvaccinated 21 times more likely to be hospitalized
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.