As the health crisis continues, Quebec is reporting 800 new cases and 14 more deaths related to the novel coronavirus Friday.
One of those deaths occurred in the past 24 hours while 12 fatalities took place between Feb. 12 and 17, according to health authorities. One death occurred before Feb. 12.
The province has seen 280,687 cases to date while the pandemic has led to the deaths of 10,278 Quebecers. Meanwhile, recoveries stand at 261,429 in Quebec.
Hospitalizations linked to COVID-19 remain on the decline. There are 723 patients, a drop of 24. Of them, two fewer people are in intensive care units for a total of 127.
Health Minister Christian Dubé applauded the recent downward trend of new infections and hospitalizations, but he is concerned about the circulation of variants of the virus in Quebec.
“However, the variant situation is very worrying. Although only 16 variant cases are confirmed, 264 cases are in analysis,” he wrote on social media. “We are monitoring the situation closely.”
When it comes to vaccination, the campaign ramped up with 9,202 doses given Thursday. So far, more than 311,651 vaccines have been administered in the province.
The latest screening data shows 32,491 tests were given Wednesday.