MONTREAL -- Quebec reported Wednesday that there are now 10,994 active COVID-19 cases in the province, 13 fewer than on Tuesday. 

It is the first time the number of active cases has been below 11,000 since the province reported 10,930 active cases Nov. 23. The high point of active cases, 29,055, came on Jan. 7.

Quebec reported 989 new positive COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections since the start of the pandemic to 272,726.

Of those, 251,620 are reported to have recovered, 968 more than on Tuesday. 

The average number of new cases for the past week is now 1,021 cases per day. 

Quebec also reported that 34 more people have died due to the disease, including eight in the past 24 hours, 16 between Feb. 3 and Feb. 8, and 10 before Feb. 3.

Since the start of the pandemic, Quebec has recorded 10,112 total deaths due to COVID-19. 

The number of hospitalizations continues to drop, with the province reporting that there are 22 fewer patients receiving care in Quebec hospitals than on Tuesday, for a total of 918 hospitalizations.

Of those, 148 people are in the intensive care ward, an increase of three.

Health-care professionals analyzed 26,470 samples Feb. 8 (Quebec releases testing data from two days prior to its daily updates).

Yesterday, 3,174 vaccinations were administered, bringing the total number of vaccine doses administered to 266,590, or 2.7 per cent of the population. 

REGIONAL DATA AND VARIANTS

Of the new cases, the highest increases were reported in Montreal (499 new, 99,269 total), Monteregie (137 new, 39,743 total) and Laval (82 new, 23,118 total).

Eleven deaths were reported in Montreal (4,406 total) and Monteregie (1,415 total); three in Laval (851 total); and two deaths each were reported in Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Quebec (482 total), the Eastern Townships (288 total), and Chaudiere-Appalaches (277 total).

One death was reported in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (263 total), Abitibi-Temiscamingue (seven total), and the Laurentians (454 total). 

A total of 11 cases have been reported in the province of different variants of COVID-19. 

That includes eight B.1.1.7 cases from the United Kingdom (seven in Montreal and one in the Eastern Townships), two B.1.352 cases from South Africa (both in Abitibi-Temiscamingue) and one variant under investigation (in Montreal) have been reported.

ACROSS CANADA

Across Canada, there have been 812,858 COVID-19 cases reported and 20,984 people are reported to have died due to the disease since the start of the pandemic. 

The following is a breakdown of cases in the provinces and territories:

  • 281,566 cases in Ontario, including 6,596 deaths;
  • 272,726 cases in Quebec, including 10,112 deaths;
  • 127,231 cases in Alberta, including 1,722 deaths;
  • 71,387 cases in British Columbia, including 1,263 deaths;
  • 30,360 cases in Manitoba, including 853 deaths;
  • 25,654 cases in Saskatchewan, including 346 deaths;
  • 1,587 cases in Nova Scotia, including 65 deaths;
  • 1,361 cases in New Brunswick, including 21 deaths;
  • 457 cases in Newfoundland and Labrador, including four deaths;
  • 299 cases in Nunavut, including one death;
  • 114 cases in Prince Edward Island;
  • 70 cases in the Yukon, including one death;
  • 33 cases in the Northwest Territories;

-- with reporting from The Canadian Press.