COVID-19: Quebec reports 9 more virus-related deaths, new cases below 1,350

Quebec is reporting 1,344 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday and nine more deaths.

Hospitalizations dropped slightly for the first time since early April, by nine to 683, and 175 people are in intensive care — the same number as Saturday.

Authorities say of the nine deaths, two occurred in the last 24 hours. Quebec’s death toll now stands at 10,802.

On Saturday health officials reported the province’s highest number of hospitalizations and intensive care cases due to COVID-19 since the second wave.

The figures marked the highest number of hospitalizations since Feb. 19 and the highest number of ICU cases since Feb. 3.

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READ MORE: Quebec reports 1,537 cases of COVID-19 as hospitalizations and ICU cases highest since second wave

Over 58,945 doses of the vaccine were administered on Saturday, for a total of 2,358,757 since the beginning of the vaccination rollout in the province.

Health Minister Christian Dubé highlighted the province’s vaccination effort, which included an average of 66,000 doses per day administered over the last seven days.

Dubé said Quebec would deploy sound trucks in hard-hit Montreal neighbourhoods to announce the presence of mobile clinics offering Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines.

Dubé said the megaphone-equipped trucks will blast messages in multiple languages along residential streets of Montreal’s vulnerable boroughs to encourage residents to receive one of 20,000 doses available without an appointment over the weekend, adding that the AstraZeneca vaccine is for those 55 and over.

This comes as both the Quebec and Ontario governments announced they would close their provincial borders with one another as of Monday in an effort to tighten movement between the provinces and quell soaring COVID-19 infections as both provinces grapple with a variant-driven third wave.

1:53 Montreal public health deploys sound truck to encourage residents in vulnerable boroughs to get vaccinated

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