The dizzying increase in COVID-19 cases is confirmed in Quebec, as the province reported on Friday 3,768 new infections, unheard of since the start of the pandemic. There are also seven additional deaths and a further increase in hospitalizations.
In total, these 3,768 new cases bring the daily average calculated over seven days to 2,286. The trend is thus up by 54% over one week. The seven additional deaths bring the daily average to four. The trend has been on the rise for a week. Sign that the risk is still present despite the vaccine: of the 3,768 new cases, 1,288 were not vaccinated and 2,356 were fully vaccinated.
However, the unvaccinated have a rate of 621 new cases per million people compared to 189 per million among the vaccinated. The unvaccinated also continue to represent the majority of hospitalizations. 21 of 39 people admitted to hospital in the past 24 hours had not received a vaccine. Finally, Quebec has a rate of 11.2 new hospitalizations per million unvaccinated, against 2.5 for fully vaccinated.
On Thursday, at a press conference, Prime Minister François Legault warned that Quebec would reach these new heights, revealing that around 3,700 cases would be reported on Friday. This is an important peak since the start of the crisis: at the peak of the second wave, Quebec had approached the 3,000 mark, but never exceeded it.
In the health network, there has been an increase of seven hospitalizations, resulting in 39 new admissions and 32 discharges. At present, 312 patients therefore remain hospitalized in connection with the virus, of which 62 are still in intensive care, a drop of one person in 24 hours in this regard. The number of people hospitalized increased by 22% over one week. Thursday, taking into account the incidence of the Omicron variant, the National Institute of Excellence in Health and Social Services (INESSS) also predicted that their number would continue to increase in the coming weeks.
Focus on vaccination
On the vaccination side, the authorities administered more than 56,000 additional doses on Thursday, to which must be added 2,410 vaccines given before December 16 which had not yet been counted. Including people vaccinated outside the province, more than 14.4 million doses have so far been given to Quebecers.
Almost half (48.3%) of 5-11 year olds have received their first dose so far; 6% of them are also waiting for their appointment. In the general population, 83.8% of Quebecers have received at least one dose and 78.3% are fully vaccinated.
Public Health carried out 46,830 screening tests on Wednesday, a figure that is relatively higher than the weekly average.
Quebec ordered Thursday evening a series of new restrictions to “win the battle” against COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, with among other things the conformation of Christmas gatherings to only 10 people maximum, the capacity reduced to 50% in shops and the ban on dancing and karaoke. Authorities have also confirmed that the interval between the second and third dose will be reduced to a minimum of three months; it was six months so far.
“On the strength of that, we will definitely adjust our schedule. Additional meetings will be available, ”assured Christian Dubé, confirming that 1,500 people have already offered to mobilize via the I contribute platform.
Schools, for their part, will remain open. In the primary network, lessons can resume in person on the scheduled date, but in secondary, the first week of lessons – between January 3 and 10 – must be virtual. It will be the same for CEGEPs and universities. The mask will again be compulsory at all school levels.