Quebec registers 17 new COVID-19 deaths as hospitalizations keep climbing

Quebec reported 17 new deaths attributed to COVID-19 amid another upswing in patients being treated for the disease Friday.

Pandemic-related hospitalizations stood at 1,275, a net rise of 37 compared with the previous day. This comes after 177 people were admitted while 140 were discharged.

Health authorities say 62 patients were in intensive care units, a drop of four.

The province recorded 3,182 new novel coronavirus cases, down from 3,319 the day before. Friday marks the third consecutive day that infections topped 3,000.

This daily tally of official cases isn’t representative of the current situation, however, since only select groups can access PCR tests.

Officials say 21,139 tests were administered at government-run screening sites on Wednesday, the most recent day for which that data is given.

Quebecers also continued to self-report the results of their rapid tests on the province’s website, adding 1,707 results. Of those, 1,427 were positive for the virus.

Meanwhile, 20,898 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were doled out in the last day for more than 18.6 million to date.

The latest roundup brought the province’s official caseload to 970,951 while the death toll reached 14,382.

The number of recoveries rounded out at 931,800 on Friday.

READ MORE: Vaccinated travellers no longer need pre-entry COVID-19 tests to enter Canada

Health Minister Christian Dubé announced that pharmacists will now be able to prescribe the antiviral drug Paxlovid to COVID-19-positive patients who are at risk of developing complications.

Dubé said in a statement that enlarging access to the oral antiviral could help reduce hospitalizations and deaths among the most vulnerable.

— with files from The Canadian Press