Quebec is reporting 12 additional COVID-related deaths on Friday as officials warn of a possible sixth wave as cases continue to climb across the province.
Health officials say 1,048 people were hospitalized for the virus on Friday after 107 patients checked out of the hospital and 93 patients were admitted in the last 24 hours.
ICU cases went up by two after 10 people entered and eight patients left the unit.
Provincial data shows 2,203 PCR tests came back positive during the last day, which is only a small portrait of the situation as access to PCR testing remains limited to high priority groups.
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Officials say 15,456 tests were given at government-run PCR testing sites, with a positivity rate of 16.3 per cent.
Over 5,000 third doses of the vaccine were administered during the last day. Quebec’s vaccination campaign has doled out more than 18.5 million shots to date.
The provincial death toll stands at over 14,300 since the start of the pandemic.