The pressure exerted by COVID-19 on Quebec hospitals is beginning to ease as the province reports a drop of 46 hospitalizations and a decline in the number of absent health care workers. Sixteen additional deaths attributed to the pandemic are however to be deplored.
Posted at 11:19 a.m.
Although they are down 46 from the previous day, the 2,176 people currently hospitalized still represent an increase of 4% over one week. In intensive care, the 68 patients represent an increase of 26% over one week.
The number of people in hospital is likely to stabilize over the next few days, with admissions getting closer and closer to discharges. On average, there are 13 more patients every day, but Quebec is rapidly approaching the break-even point. The peak of hospitalizations is approaching and a drop in the number of people hospitalized is thus possible within a few days.
Another sign that the pressure on Quebec hospitals is easing, the number of workers absent due to the pandemic is decreasing. They were 6334 Friday to have to isolate themselves, 14% less than last week.
The 16 new deaths reported on Friday bring the daily average calculated over seven days to 14. The trend is down 14% over one week.
As for new cases, the 1,460 infections reported on Friday bring the daily average to 1,548. The trend is thus down 20% over one week, a sign that the seventh wave continues to subside. These figures likely reflect only a portion of total infections, due to limited access to PCR screening tests. Moreover, the proportion of PCR screening tests proving positive for COVID-19 remains high, at 12.4%.
In addition to the cases detected by PCR tests, 660 people have also reported in recent days having obtained a positive result from a rapid test. Self-reported cases, which are not included in daily reported cases, have fallen 31% over the past week, another sign of the seventh wave decline.
