Quebec is reporting 3,381 COVID-19 hospitalizations on Monday and 54 more deaths attributed to the virus.
Hospitalizations increased by 81 over the previous day, with 303 new patients admitted and 222 discharged. Of the 3,381 people in hospital with COVID-19, 286 are in intensive care for an increase of four.
The increase in hospitalizations comes as Quebec lifts its overnight curfew and students return to in-person learning. While back to school was scheduled for Monday, a winter storm battering the province has delayed the return until Tuesday.
Data published by the province’s institute of public health (INSPQ) on Friday shows Quebec’s death rate is the highest in the country with an average of 4.6 deaths per one million people over the past seven days. Manitoba is second at 3.1, while the Canadian average is 2.3.
With 12,364 deaths since the start of the pandemic, Quebec also leads when it comes to cumulative deaths with 1,408 deaths per million inhabitants, followed again by Manitoba with 1,039 deaths and a Canadian average of 816.
Meanwhile, vaccination efforts continue with 75,667 doses administered on Sunday.
Despite Monday’s winter weather and treacherous road conditions, the Health Ministry said appointments are going ahead as planned in many regions and to call ahead to make sure that’s the case in your area.
People who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 are 5.8 times more at risk of being hospitalized due to the virus than people who are adequately vaccinated.
The risk is even greater for the unvaccinated when it comes to the likelihood of them requiring treatment in intensive care units, with the latest data showing they are 12.5 times more at risk than the vaccinated.
To date, 85,2 per cent of the population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Since the start of the health crisis, the province has recorded 801,153 infections, including 5,400 new cases on Monday and 734,650 recoveries.
Health officials, however, warn that new screening rules prioritizing certain groups doesn’t allow for an accurate depiction of the current epidemiological situation as it relates to case numbers.
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