COVID-19 in Quebec: What you need to know Thursday

• On Thursday, Quebec reported 1,582 people in hospital (an increase of 42 from the previous day), including 64 in intensive care (a decrease of two from the previous day).
• The province reported 3,777 new cases of COVID-19 and 28 deaths. 
• Since the start of the pandemic, there have been  989,077 confirmed cases, and 14,482 people have died.
• The province also reported a total of 18,782,432 doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered, including 31,225  doses in the last 24 hours. 
• 91 per cent of the eligible population in the province (aged five and up) have received one dose of the vaccine; 87 per cent have received two doses, and 53 per cent have received three doses.

*The new cases are those reported to the Quebec government only. They are believed to be an underrepresentation of the virus's spread, given the limited availability of PCR tests and use of home testing kits.

*Quebec's Health Ministry announced no longer reports COVID-19 numbers on the weekend.

The  Innu community of Pakua Shipu is facing its first COVID-19 outbreak.

Home to about 300 people, Pakua Shipu is only accessible by plane or boat. Since mid-March, one-third of its households have had cases.

The North Shore's regional public health director, Dr. Richard Fachehoun, says the fifth and sixth waves have brought the virus to isolated territories that had never had cases before.

Guy Mestenapéo, chief of the Innu Council of Pakua Shipu, says the impact of Covid-19 in his community is "explosive," with many people isolating at home.

The local school is closed until Friday.

INESSS hospitalization projections

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Quebec are expected to rise over the next two weeks, and there could be up to 265 new admissions a day within that time, the province's health-care research institute said Wednesday.

But the Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) does not predict hospital capacity in the province will be overwhelmed.

"This is not, for now, a dramatic situation, but we will have to monitor the situation over the next weeks,'' spokesperson Olivia Jacques said Wednesday.

"We still have the capacity for regular [COVID-19] beds,'' she said.

The number of COVID-19 intensive-care patients is also expected to rise over the same period but is not expected to put significant pressure on the health-care system, the institute projected.

Expanding 4th doses

Starting Monday, April 11, fourth doses will be offered to people age 60 and older.

At Tuesday's news conference, Boileau issued a call for caution among those age 60 and older, saying the vast majority of people currently hospitalized in intensive care are in that age group.

Seniors age 70 and older are already eligible for a fourth dose of the vaccine. 

Quebec public health officials are encouraging all Quebecers who have not received their third dose of vaccine to get it.

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