Quebec reports 506 new COVID-19 cases, 3 deaths; half of ICU patients are under 60

Montreal -

Quebec on Wednesday reported 506 new COVID-19 cases and three new deaths, continuing a trend for the last few days of slightly lower, stable case numbers compared to most of September.

Hospitalizations rose by three, for a total of 294 people currently getting inpatient care for the disease.

There was no change in the number of those patients receiving intensive care, which currently stands at 90. The province reported that while four ICU patients were discharged, four new ones were admitted.

There's a total of 5,039 active cases throughout the province. Overall, 11,400 people have now died of COVID-19 in Quebec.

BIG REGIONAL DIFFERENCES 

There are big variations between different regions of the province, with some harder-hit than others. 

The region with the highest level of COVID-19 cases right now is Laval, with a rate of 109 active cases per 100,000 population.

Laval is followed by Chaudiere-Appalaches, with a rate of 102 active cases per 100,000, and then Montreal, which is significantly lower at a rate of 78 active cases per 100,000.

Next highest is the Laurentides, with a rate of 66, Lanaudiere with 60, and Monteregie at 52. 

Many other regions are much lower, with the majority experiencing rates of fewer than 30 active cases per 100,000.

NEARLY ALL CASES ARE NOW DELTA

On Monday, the last day reported, the province carried out 32,541 COVID-19 tests in total.

The positivity rate is more tentatively good news, as it has dropped significantly over the last month, from a high of 3.7 per cent in early September to 1.6 per cent Monday.

Among the variant cases reported, there were no instances of any variants present in Quebec except the Delta variant, which was present in 473 new cases.

However, numbers from Quebec's public health institute showed that Delta's dominance is near-total at this point. Over just three weeks in September, the variant's share among new cases climbed steadily, going from 82 per cent in the first week of September to 95 per cent by the week of Sept. 19.

That's the last week for which those numbers are available.

A THIRD OF HOSPITALIZED ARE UNDER 60

While the elderly are still the most likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, relatively young people are making up a greater share of hospital patients in this wave.

Just over 34 per cent of all 294 patients currently hospitalized are under 60, including 15 per cent in their 50s, 11 per cent in their 40s and 4 per cent in their 30s.

Among those in intensive care -- a smaller sample size at only 90 patients right now -- about half, or roughly 45 people, are under 60.

That includes 35 per cent in their 40s and 50s, but also nearly 7 per cent in their 20s, which adds up to six people.

In the last two weeks, half of all new cases in Quebec have been among people under 30, including almost a quarter among children under nine.

Children under 12 aren't eligible yet for the vaccine. Young people aged 10 to 19 accounted for another 16 per cent of new cases.

People in their 20s and 30s, however, who are eligible to be vaccinated, also represented a very significant share of cases over the last two weeks.

Twenty-somethings made up 12 per cent of cases, while thirty-somethings accounted for another 15 per cent. Altogether, people under 40 made up 67 per cent or two-thirds of all cases in Quebec in that timespan.

ALMOST 10,000 MORE PEOPLE VACCINATED

Vaccinations are by no means over. The province reported that 9,445 new doses have been given, including 8,846 in the last 24 hours.

Quebec's vaccine mandate for health-care workers takes effect on Oct. 15, requiring all health workers to be vaccinated by that point or be suspended without pay.

September saw gradually declining vaccinations, however, going from an average of roughly 20,000 per day at the start of the month to roughly 15,000 per day by the end of the month.

The number of vaccinations tends to change drastically over the course of any single week, with the highest numbers tending to fall on Thursdays before dipping over the weekend.

 

COVID-19 CASES IN QUEBEC
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