MONTREAL -- Quebec public health authorities announced Monday that 68 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. 

In the same period, two people died due to the disease in addition to one who died between Aug. 17-22, and one before Aug. 17.

The total number of people who have died due to the novel coronavirus in the province since the start of the pandemic is now 5,744.

Two of the new deaths were reported in Laval, one in the Lower Laurentians, and one in Monteregie.

The total number of cases in the provice is now 61,741.

The highest increase in positive cases was reported in Montreal with 26 new cases (29,622 total), followed by Lanaudiere with 11 new cases (4,786 total), and Laval with eight new cases (6,238 total).

The number of hospitalizations in the province dropped by two for a total of 115. Of those receiving treatment in Quebec's hospitals, 12 patients are in the intensive care ward, a decrease of two. 

On Aug. 22, health-care professionals anaylzed 11,372 tests, which is 4,227 fewer than the tests analyzed Aug. 21. (Quebec releases testing data from two days prior to its daily updates).