Quebec is reporting 1,295 new cases and 50 additional deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus pandemic Friday.
Health authorities say nine of those deaths occurred in the past 24 hours, while the others have been retroactively added to the province’s rising death toll.
The caseload has now reached 259,993, while recoveries have topped 235,000. Since last March, there have been 9,717 deaths in Quebec, accounting for nearly half of the country’s fatalities linked to COVID-19.
Hospitalizations continued to dip Friday. There are 47 fewer people in hospital for a total of 1,217. Of those patients, 209 are in intensive care, a decrease of three from the previous day.
The province administered 38,410 tests Wednesday, the latest day for which screening data is available. Over the course of the health crisis, more than 5.7 million tests have been issued.
The update shows 3,071 vaccines were given Thursday as the province grapples with a dwindling supply amid delays from Pfizer. Since December, 236,057 doses have been administered.
Quebec says about 2,043 vaccine doses are left from the 238,100 total doses it had received.
Health Minister Christian Dubé said Friday on social media that he expects the province to acquire 18,000 Pfizer and 40,000 Moderna vaccines next week.
— With files from The Canadian Press