Quebec adds 409 new COVID-19 cases, 2 more deaths

Quebec reported 409 new cases and two more deaths linked with the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis on Tuesday.

The number of pandemic-related hospitalizations rose by one to 291. Health officials say 17 patients were admitted in the past day, while 16 were discharged.

Of those patients, there were 72 in intensive care units — a drop of six in the past 24-hour period.

The province has administered more than 13 million shots of the novel coronavirus vaccine to date, including 4,580  doses since the last update.

When it comes to screening, 19,840 tests were given Sunday.

Quebec has registered a total of 416,676 cases over the course of the health crisis. There have been 11,422 deaths related to the virus to date.

Meanwhile, the number of recoveries stood at 400,347 as of Tuesday.

1:58 COVID-19: Residents in Quebec’s long-term care facilities begin receiving third dose of vaccine

Booster shots rolled out at Maimonides

The health authority in west-central Montreal says it will begin administering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots Tuesday at the Donald Berman Maimonides Geriatric Centre.

Maimonides was one of the first two seniors’ centres in the province to receive the vaccines last winter. It was hard hit by the pandemic last November, with about 20 residents transferred to Montreal hospitals after the virus took hold and the health authority closed a hot zone to contain the spread.

Last month, the Quebec government announced it would administer third doses of COVID-19 vaccine to people living in long-term care facilities and in private seniors’ residences six months after their second doses. The decision came amid an uptick in infections and outbreaks in those facilities.

At the time, Health Minister Christian Dubé said there were no current plans to give a third shot to other seniors but that could change if the pandemic evolves.

A third dose of the vaccine was already available to people who are severely immunocompromised.

—with files from The Canadian Press