MONTREAL -- In a significant drop from the last week's average numbers, Quebec reported Monday that 890 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past day.

It's the first time since early November that the province has reported a day with less than 1,000 new cases. The drop comes as Quebecers wait to hear, in a Tuesday press conference by Premier François Legault, which of their current public health restrictions will be lifted or eased, as the premier has predicted.

Just a day earlier, on Sunday, the seven-day average of new cases stood at 1,279. Today's drop drove it further down, to an average of 1,234.

The province has 32 more deaths to add to its total count, 14 of which took place in the last 24 hours, 16 between Jan. 25 and 30, and two before Jan. 25. 

After a series of days with hospitalizations dropping, hospitalizations increased in the last day, but only by eight people, according to provincial statistics. The total number of hospitalized patients is now 1,144.

The number of people in intensive care, however, dropped by eight, for a total of 183.

The Quebec Institute of Public Health reports that there are 13,564 active coronavirus cases in the province.

The total number of positive cases reported in Quebec since the start of the pandemic is now 263,473.

The total number of people reported to have recovered from the disease now stands at 240,083.

Since March, 9,826 people in Quebec have died from COVID-19.

When it comes to testing, the province processed 27,279 more tests on the last day reported, Jan. 30.

In addition, 796 more people have now been vaccinated, for a total of 239,023.

REGIONAL DATA

The highest increases in daily cases were reported in Montreal (343 new), Monteregie (189 new) and Laval (117 new).

The deaths included 11 reported in Montreal (4.327 total), six in Laval (835 total), four in Monteregie (1,342 total), three in Quebec City (927 total) and two in Lanaudiere (468 total).

There were one each in the Laurentians (439 total) and the Estrie (277 total).