Quebec observes a further increase in deaths attributed to COVID-19 on Friday, while hospitalizations and cases have been on a strong downward trend for several weeks.
Posted at 11:04 a.m.
Updated at 11:13 a.m.
The 30 new deaths reported on Friday bring the daily average calculated over seven days to 21. The trend is up 16% over one week.
However, Quebec continues to observe a strong downward trend in the other indicators. On Friday, the province reports a drop of 67 hospitalizations. The 1,754 people currently hospitalized represent a decline of 15% over one week. In intensive care, the 59 patients represent a decrease of 2% 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 42 fewer patients every day.
The 900 new cases reported on Friday bring the daily average to 865 and are also part of a strong downward trend. These have decreased by 33% over one week.
These case figures 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 7.6%.
In addition to the cases detected by PCR tests, 350 people have also reported in recent days having obtained a positive result from a rapid test. Self-reported cases, which are not included in daily reported cases, are down 31% over the past week.
Impact of Easter?
This jolt in the deaths observed in Quebec seems to occur in the wake of the gatherings that took place at Easter. In the 7 to 10 days following this long leave, cases and hospitalizations had briefly increased among Quebecers aged 60 and over. The indicators, however, started to fall again after a few days, a sign that the outbreaks had been limited and of short duration.
The increase in deaths is concentrated mainly among people aged 80 and over. Just over half of the deaths over the past week have occurred in people who lived at home. Two out of five victims lived in a seniors’ residence or in a CHSLD.