The spread of COVID-19 appears to have stabilized in Quebec during the long Thanksgiving holiday, as the rise in hospitalizations slowed. On the other hand, vaccination continues to decline.
Posted at 12:20 p.m.
Several indicators point to a stabilization of the spread. The 792 new cases reported on Tuesday bring the daily average to 886. At the end of the long holiday, the trend is thus at the same level as last week. These numbers likely reflect only a portion of total infections, due to limited access to PCR testing. Moreover, the proportion of PCR screening tests proving positive for COVID-19 remains high, at 9.5%.
In addition to the cases detected by PCR tests, 1,321 people also reported during the long leave having obtained a positive result from a rapid test. Self-reported cases, which are not included in daily reported cases, are also stable over a week.
The number of workers absent due to the pandemic has meanwhile fallen slightly compared to last week. They were 3,376 on Tuesday to have to isolate themselves, or 9% less than last week.
Quebec also reported on Tuesday a drop of 42 hospitalizations during the long leave. The 1,823 people currently hospitalized represent an increase of 4% over one week, a sign of a slowdown in the trend. In intensive care, the 39 patients represent an increase of 18% over one week.
The number of people in hospital is expected to continue to rise over the next few days, with the number of admissions outpacing discharges. On average, there are nine more patients every day.
The nine new deaths reported during the long Thanksgiving holiday bring the daily average calculated over seven days to four. The trend is down 56% over one week.
Marked drop in vaccination
The pace of the vaccination campaign continues to fall. Quebec administers an average of 16,100 doses per day, which is 15% less than last week.
The rhythm of the campaign does not make it possible to increase the vaccination coverage. Taking into account the fact that Public Health recommends getting vaccinated after five months, only 20% of Quebecers have their vaccination up to date.
