Quebec records 279 new COVID-19 cases as hospitalizations keep falling

Quebec is reporting 279 new cases and four additional deaths, including one in the past 24 hours, Friday as the COVID-19 health crisis continues.

The latest daily count of new infections is the fifth day in a row that it is under the 300 mark, a number not seen in the province since mid-September 2020.

Montreal was the region that reported the most new cases, with 89, followed by Montérégie, south of Montreal, with 37 and Chaudière-Appalaches, south of Quebec City, with 34 new infections.

The vaccination rollout saw another 98,232 doses administered since the last report was issued. More than 5.9 million shots have been given since last December.

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The government says 81,400 of the 90,500 Moderna doses expected this week were delivered Thursday. Over the course of the immunization campaign, Quebec has received more than 6.5 million doses of novel coronavirus vaccines.

Health Minister Christian Dubé encouraged Quebecers who haven’t already booked their appointment for a dose to do so now.

“We continue to make every effort to promote vaccination in those under 40 years of age. The goal is to achieve 75 per cent immunization coverage in all age groups,” he wrote on Twitter.

“We have to play as a team to get there.”

Hospitalizations also continue to be on the downswing in the province. There are 10 fewer patients for a total of 307.

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Of them, there are 67 people in intensive care, a drop of one from the previous day.

The latest screening information available shows 24,768 tests were given Wednesday.

Over the course of the health crisis, the province has seen 371,361 cases. The pandemic has killed 11,148 Quebecers to date.

Recoveries, however, stand at 356,998.

— With files from the Canadian Press