The strong upward trend in COVID-19 continues Wednesday in Quebec, as the province passes the 6,000 new case mark for the first time, with 6,361 new infections and two deaths. The number of hospitalizations is also undergoing a further increase, while vaccination accelerates even further.
These 6,361 new cases bring the daily average to 4,279. The trend is thus up by around 125% over one week. The two additional deaths bring the daily average to four, up slightly over a week.
In the health network, on Wednesday we observed an increase of 30 hospitalizations compared to the day before, which resulted in 76 new admissions and 46 discharges. Currently, 445 patients remain hospitalized in connection with COVID-19, of which 88 are still in intensive care, a figure that has remained stable in the last 24 hours (12 admissions, 12 discharges).
All of these 445 people hospitalized represents an increase of 44% over one week. In intensive care, the increase is 21% in the last seven days.
On the vaccination side, the authorities administered 83,137 additional doses on Tuesday, to which must be added nearly 5,300 vaccines given before December 21 which had not yet been counted. The pace of the campaign has clearly accelerated in recent days.
Including people vaccinated outside the province, nearly 14.8 million doses have been given to Quebecers to date.
What to do with the screening?
A sign that screening is very popular today, the number of tests performed per day is also accelerating rapidly. On Monday, Quebec has indeed carried out no less than 54,328 screening tests, a figure relatively higher than the weekly average.
All over Quebec, screening clinics have literally been taken by storm in recent days, with queues of several hours. Several people were outright refused on their arrival, the maximum capacity having already been reached for the day. For the public policy expert at the Montreal School of Public Health (ESPUM), Marie-Pascale Pomey, it might be worthwhile to consider greater collaboration from the private sector in the future.
“I know that in some private laboratories there is still a lot of room and space, but people have to pay. There should be service corridors open to the private sector which are supported by the public, or at least we should think about a much closer collaboration, ”she argues.
The epidemiologist Nimâ Machouf second. But the two specialists recall that there is not really a “miracle solution” to the long queues in front of the screening centers. “We have run out of resources, and these resources are already running out of steam. We must collectively reduce contact, and the rest, it is time that will do it ”, breathes Mme Machouf on this.
“In some places, they distribute rapid tests in lines for screening. That is a very good idea. You have to do it when possible, ”also notes the one who is a member of the COVID-Stop collective, bringing together doctors and scientists offering interventions aimed at curbing the COVID-19 pandemic. Too many rapid tests are also “sold relatively expensive online”, remarks Marie-Pascale Pomey. She calls on Quebec to “do everything to ensure that they are accessible free of charge, even privately”, in the current context.
With Pierre-André Normandin, Press