MONTREAL -- Quebec health authorities reported an additional 815 cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 87,791 across the province. 

Five more people have died due to the disease, three of which were in the past 24 hours and two more from sometime between Oct. 6 and 11, for a total of 5,970. 

These numbers showed a continued, if not dramatic, drop from about a week ago, after Monday's update also had less than 900 new cases.

In a news conference, Premier François Legault said he was optimistic it added up to a "stabilizing," though he and Quebec Public Health Director Horacio Arruda said it's too soon to talk about easing restrictions, and in fact, three new regions were sent into the red zone.

Hospitalizations increased by 11 from Monday to Tuesday, for a total of 468 across the province. There are 10 more people receiving treatment in the intensive care ward, bringing the total to 85.

However, Arruda said the province will include a new metric that will capture hospitalizations better in future, looking at the growth in hospitalized cases rather than the net number of hospitalizations. This takes into account how many people were discharged.

Today, he said, that actually means there are 46 new hospitalizations.

As usual, the bulk of the latest cases were recorded in Montreal, with 268 (total 37,888), Quebec City with 125 (total 6,292) and Monteregie with 106 (12,648 total). 

There were also 75 cases recorded in Chaudiere-Appalaches (total 2,224), 51 in Laval (total 8,286), 45 in the Laurentians (total 5,495) and 43 in Lanaudiere (total 5,841). 

Mauricie recorded 36 more cases (3,075), Outaouais, 31 (total 1,830) and the Eastern Townships, 11 (total 2,090). 

As of Tuesday, 73,734 people are confirmed recovered from COVID-19 in Quebec, which is an increase of 877 from the number reported on Monday. 

Quebec reported that it analyzed samples of 20,386 COVID-19 tests on Oct. 11 (Quebec reports its daily testing figures from two days prior). 

--With files from CTV's Selena Ross