With 88 new deaths linked to COVID-19 reported this Wednesday, Quebec now surpasses the peak of the second wave in terms of mortality. However, the increase in hospitalizations continues to slow in the province, while there is a slight decrease in intensive care units.
Posted at 11:03 a.m.
Updated at 11:17 a.m.
The 88 new deaths bring the daily average to 67. Quebec now deplores more deaths than at the peak of the second wave, last winter. On January 26, 2020, there were an average of 62 deaths each day.
Having increased by 77% over the past week, deaths are indeed still on the rise. It remains to be seen, however, whether Quebec will exceed the peak of the first wave, the deadliest to date. At the beginning of May 2020, the province was reporting an average of 110 deaths per day.
Of note: these deaths are likely to continue to increase for at least another week, pending the peak of hospitalizations. In the health network, there is indeed a slight increase of only eight hospitalizations, which translates into 359 new admissions and 351 discharges across the province.
Currently, 3,425 patients remain hospitalized in connection with the virus. Of this number, 285 people are still in intensive care, which represents a decrease of four cases in 24 hours (42 entries, 46 exits).
Reaching the peak of hospitalizations thus seems to be more and more imminent, but not yet perceptible, a slowdown in their growth having been felt for several days now. However, the point of balance between hospital admissions and discharges is expected shortly, finally suggesting a drop in pressure in hospitals.
Quebec also reports 6,123 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the daily average over one week to 6,499. The trend is thus down 47%. It should however be remembered that this data is however much less representative of the progression of the pandemic, access to screening tests now being limited to certain groups only.
On Monday, Public Health also carried out 41,200 screening tests, a relatively stable figure compared to the weekly average.
On the vaccination side, the campaign is maintaining a good pace. Just over 110,000 additional doses were administered on Tuesday, to which are added 4,780 vaccines given before January 18 which had not yet been officially counted.
Including people vaccinated outside the province, so far 16.9 million doses have been given to Quebecers.
With Pierre-André Normandin