After the cases and the hospitalizations, it is the turn of the deaths to reach their peak in this sixth wave of COVID-19 in Quebec. With a decrease of 36 hospitalizations, the downward trend continues.
Posted at 11:13 a.m.
Updated at 11:20 a.m.
The 26 new deaths reported Friday in Quebec bring the daily average calculated over seven days to 24. The trend is thus stable over a week, ending a month of increases.
Quebec also reports a decrease of 36 hospitalizations on Friday. The 2,290 people currently hospitalized represent a decrease of 5% over one week. In intensive care, the 81 patients represent a decrease of 8% over one week.
The number of people in hospital is expected to continue to decline over the next few days, with the number of discharges continuing to outpace admissions. On average, there are 17 fewer hospitalized patients every day.
Several downward indicators
The 1,649 new cases reported on Friday bring the daily average to 1,748. The trend is thus down 21% over one 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 very high, at 11.1%.
Although PCR tests are less accurate, several indicators point to a reduction in the spread. In addition to the cases detected by PCR tests, 814 people have 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 thus decreased by 36% over the past week.
In schools, after a jolt following the long Easter holiday, absences related to COVID-19 are down 17% over one week. There are just under 15,000 students absent due to the pandemic, as well as 1,746 staff members.
With cases down, hospitalizations down and now that deaths are leveling off in turn, the data seems to prove Dr Luc Boileau, Acting National Director of Public Health. Thursday, he assessed that Quebec had probably crossed the peak of the sixth wave.
Stable vaccination
The vaccination campaign is continuing at a rate of just under 29,000 doses per day on average, a stable rate for two weeks. These are mainly fourth doses given to people aged 60 and over. To date, 8.8% of Quebecers have received four doses and 51.4% have had three.
