The meteoric rise in the number of cases and hospitalizations continues. As of 4 p.m. Monday, Quebec had 12,800 new infections. The number of new hospitalizations had for its part crossed the 200 mark. These new data will be announced on Tuesday. Quebec will provide an update at 1 p.m.
“The number of cases and hospitalizations are increasing rapidly,” François Legault admitted on Twitter Monday evening. Fortunately, the increase in intensive care is less. “
The Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dubé, will hold a press briefing on Tuesday at 1 p.m., alongside the national director of public health, Dr Horacio Arruda, and the director general of the operational management of the pandemic, Daniel Ready.
New infections reported earlier Monday bring the daily average to 8,020. There are currently 1,469 active outbreaks in the province.
The number of hospitalizations has increased to a total of 614 people hospitalized now, 44 more than the day before. There are now 109 people in intensive care.
The number of tests performed on December 26 stood at 44,043. The positivity rate is 24.9%, almost five times the threshold of 5% recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO ).
Underestimated figures
If the proportion of people declared positive among those being tested is “enormous”, the “scariest aspect” is that it is an underestimate, underlines the Dr Donald Vinh, infectious disease specialist-microbiologist at the McGill University Health Center. Some people get a positive result on a self-test and decide not to go for a PCR test. They are then not part of the calculation, he explains.
Other people with COVID-19 cannot find appointments at testing clinics. “Some people go to clinics, but there are two-hour queues,” D continues.r Vinh. At each stage, we lose a proportion of people who wanted to be tested. The accuracy of the positivity rate depends on all of these factors, he concludes.
Resumption of vaccination
PHOTO DAVID BOILY, THE PRESS
The Ministry of Health indicates that 547 additional injections were given in 5 to 11 year olds and 14,366 third doses were given.
To date, just over 360,000 young people aged 5 to 11 have had their first dose, or 55% of this age group. A total of 31% of those aged 60 and over had their booster dose.
So far 89% of the population have received their first dose, 82% their second and 13% their third.