Quebec to start flu vaccination campaign, as COVID-19 hospitalizations rise by dozens
Quebec's director of public health Dr. Luc Boileau updated the province on the evolution of the COVID-19 situation in Quebec on Thursday.
He was accompanied by Daniel Desharnais, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Direction générale de la coordination réseau et ministérielle et des affaires institutionnelles of the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux.
Boileau asked Quebecers to get a flu vaccine at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccine, as cases are on the rise. The influenza vaccination campaign will begin Oct. 5.
He said it's "too early" to begin talking about an eighth wave of the pandemic, but admitted that hospitalizations due to the disease are rising and SARS-CoV-2 concentrations are showing up in wastewater more.
NEW NUMBERS
Quebec reported on Thursday that eight more people died due to the disease, bringing the total number of deaths in the province to 16,770 since the start of the pandemic.
Hospitalizations rose by a net total of 44 to 1,663, with 34 of those people in intensive care units, the same number as on Wednesday.
A total of 3,861 health-care workers are absent for COVID-19-related reasons, which is one more than 24 hours ago.
Out of 11,836 PCR tests that were analyzed, 1,037 came back positive for a positivity rate of 9 per cent.
Since the pandemic began, Quebec has logged 1,199,868 positive PCR tests.
In addition, 170 more positive self-declared rapid tests were recorded, for a total of 245,035.
Quebec's Health Ministry is monitoring 248 active COVID-19 outbreaks.
On Sept. 27, 12,669 samples were analyzed.
Health-care professionals administered 24,986 more vaccinations, bringing that total to 21,242,658.
With files from the Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.