COVID-19: Quebec reports 48 more deaths as hospitalizations continue to drop
Quebec is reporting 3,091 active COVID-19 hospitalizations on Friday and 48 more deaths linked to the virus.
The hospitalizations decreased by 62 over the previous day with 287 new patients admitted and 349 discharged.
Intensive care hospitalizations were also down by seven, with 228 patients remaining.
The latest COVID-19 modelling predictions released on Thursday show that hospitalizations will continue to decline over the next several days.
The decrease, however, will be modest in terms of its impact on the health network, according to Quebec’s interim public health director Dr. Luc Boileau.
Many of the province’s regional health boards will remain at a Level 4 alert, meaning emergency rooms can close and surgeries will continue to be delayed.
During an update on the situation Thursday, Boileau said that COVID-19 restrictions must be eased carefully due to the fragility of the hospital system and slow uptake of vaccine boosters.
So far, less than 80 per cent of Quebecers aged 60 and up have gotten a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
He reiterated that mass vaccination remains the best way to protect people against severe illness and will allow for restrictions to be loosened more quickly.
Health Ministry data for Friday shows people who are not vaccinated against the virus are 5.8 times at higher risk of being hospitalized than someone who has received two doses, and 11.1 times more at risk of ending up in intensive care.
(1/2)#COVID19 – En date du 27 janvier, voici la situation au Québec: https://t.co/pwoUoaBgaF
Vaccination 5-11 ans: plus de 400 000 enfants ont maintenant reçu leur première dose. pic.twitter.com/TtZ4245Zbo
— Santé Québec (@sante_qc) January 28, 2022
In the last 24 hours, 75,704 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered, bringing the total since the start of the inoculation campaign to over 17.5 million shots given in Quebec.
The province also recorded 3,600 new confirmed cases, for a total of 853,120 infections since the start of the pandemic.
Since the government’s launch of an online platform earlier this week, 33,144 people have registered the results of their rapid tests including 1,771 on Thursday. To date, 25,082 of those returned positive test results.
The new tool will help health officials get a better picture of the epidemiological situation in Quebec, since access to screening centres is limited to certain priority groups.
The death toll in the province now stands at 13,113.
— With files from The Canadian Press
by Global News
