Quebec is reporting 87 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, bringing the province’s total to 61,004 infections since the pandemic began.
Authorities recorded three deaths from earlier in the week. No new deaths attributable to the novel coronavirus were reported in the past 24 hours.
The health crisis has killed 5,718 Quebecers to date — with the province’s death toll remaining the highest in Canada.
As of Friday, there are two more patients in hospital for a total of 151. Of them, 25 patients are in intensive care, an increase of two from the previous day.
The province carried out 18,596 tests Wednesday, the most recent date for which testing data is available.
On Friday, Premier François Legault was asked about ventilation systems in Quebec schools as parents prepare to send their children back to class in September.
This comes after the Ontario government announced $50 million to improve air quality in the province’s schools with upgrades to buildings’ ventilation.
Legault said the current state of Quebec’s school infrastructure is unacceptable and it’s something his government is working to improve — gradually.
“We cannot do that overnight. We will do it gradually,” he said.