Quebec reported 1,397 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, the highest single-day total since the pandemic began.
Sunday’s tally also marks the fifth straight day the province has reported over 1,000 daily infections.
Officials reported nine more deaths related to the virus. The death tally in the province now stands at 6,440.
The total number of people who have contracted COVID-19 in Quebec is now 114,820.
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According to health officials, of the nine new reported deaths, two occurred in the last 24 hours and the other seven between Nov. 1 and Nov. 6.
The number of hospitalizations has gone up by four from Saturday for a total of 527 — 77 of which are in intensive care.
Premier François Legault called the rise in cases in several regions of Quebec worrying. “We need to make an effort to reduce our contacts. Lives are at stake,” he said.
According to public health, 25,855 tests were conducted in Quebec on Nov. 6, the last day for which testing data is available. More than 3,302,640 novel coronavirus tests have been conducted in the province since the beginning of the pandemic.
On Saturday Legault urged Quebecers to maintain efforts to flatten the COVID-19 curve this winter. In an open letter, Legault thanked citizens for showing solidarity and expressed hope that grandparents will be able to see their grandchildren at Christmas.
Provincial health officials have said they are concerned about Saguenay, north of Quebec City, Lanaudière, and north of Montreal — regions Legault has dubbed “the worst” in the province on a per-capita basis.
– With files from the Canadian Press