MONTREAL -- Quebec reported the lowest number of new COVID-19 cases since September on Saturday.

Quebec reported 505 new positive cases to start the weekend, bringing the overall number of infections to 366,899 since the start of the pandemic. 

The last time new cases were reported this low by the Quebec Institute of Public Health (INSPQ) was on Sept. 20 when it reported 503.

A total of 349,498 people are reported to have recovered, an increase of 804.

There were 305 fewer active COVID-19 cases Saturday than there were Friday, according to the INSPQ, dropping that total to 6,320.

The province also added seven more deaths due to the disease, including one in the past 24 hours, four between May 15 and May 20, one before May 15 and one at an unknown date.

Since the pandemic began, Quebec has reported 11,081 deaths due to COVID-19 after one death was removed after an investigation found it was not attributable to the novel coronavirus.

After dropping for a week straight, Quebec hospitalization numbers decreased again with 13 fewer patients needing care in the province's hospitals for the disease, bringing the total number of hospitalizations to 424. Of those, 103 people are in intensive care wards, a decrease of three.

On May 20, 28,608 samples were analyzed.

VACCINATION CAMPAIGN

Quebec health-care professionals administered 96,173 more doses of the vaccine, including 94,075 in the past 24 hours.

Since the vaccination campaign began, 4,843,635 Quebecers have received at least one dose of the vaccine, which is 53.5 per cent of the population. 

The province reports that 317,506 people (four per cent of the population) have received their second dose.

Quebec has received 5,828,149 doses of vaccine. The province delivered 232,660 of its 233,960 Moderna doses to regions. The remaining 1,300 are expected to be delivered today.

REGIONAL DATA

Montreal reported its lowest daily-case increase in over two weeks Saturday when the region added 159 new positive COVID-19 cases (130,025 total). It was the region with the highest increase followed by Monteregie (63 new, 50,301 total), Laval (45 new, 30,990 total), and the Eastern Townships (41 new, 14,411 total).

Three deaths were reported in Montreal (4,726 total), two in Outaouais (211 total), and one death was reported in Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Quebec (517 total).