Quebec is reporting 2,265 new cases and 37 additional deaths Monday tied to the evolving second wave of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Health authorities say of those deaths, seven occurred in the past 24 hours. The other fatalities attributed to COVID-19 have been retroactively added to the total, with 27 occurring between Dec. 21 and Dec. 26, and three from unspecified dates.
Montreal, which has been a hot spot for the pandemic, accounts for nearly half of the new cases reported Monday. The region has 946 new infections.
The province’s caseload stands at 194,930 while recoveries have topped 166,000. The health crisis has claimed the lives of 8,060 Quebecers since March, when it first bore down on the country.
READ MORE: Quebec City police crack down on illegal gatherings, dole out fines to coronavirus rule-breakers
Hospitalizations climbed by 39 to 1,124. Of those patients, one more is in intensive care for a total of 150.
Health Minister Christian Dubé expressed concern about the surge of hospitalizations on social media.
“The situation is critical in hospitals,” he wrote. “We are counting on the co-operation of Quebecers to respect the instructions during the holidays to prevent the situation in our hospitals from deteriorating.”
When it comes to vaccinations, 2,327 were doled out Sunday. Quebec has given 19,643 doses since its campaign rolled out earlier this month.
READ MORE: Over 15,000 people have died from coronavirus in Canada
The latest screening information shows 16,550 tests were given Saturday. So far, more than 4.7 million tests have been administered.
A province-wide lockdown, which began Christmas Day, remains in effect. The goal is to curb the spread of the virus, which has gained steam in Quebec over the past month, and limit the impact on the health-care system.
Businesses deemed non-essential will remain closed until at least Jan. 11.
— With files from The Canadian Press