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

• On Friday, Quebec reported 1,637 people in hospital (an increase of 55 from the previous day), including 62 in intensive care (a decrease of two from the previous day).
• The province reported 3,572 new cases of COVID-19 and 30 deaths. 
• Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 992,649 confirmed cases, and 14,512 people have died.
• The province also reported a total of 18,818,996 doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered, including 35,199 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 no longer reports COVID-19 numbers on the weekend.

Public health officials do not intend to bring in new restrictions ahead of the Easter long weekend, Dr. Luc Boileau said at a virtual news conference Friday, even as case numbers and hospitalizations increase, and 13,000 workers are absent from the health-care network.

But Boileau urged people to avoid contact with vulnerable family members if they have symptoms or if they have recently been ill. 

Projections released Wednesday from the Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) predict Quebec could see 265 new hospitalizations a day, two weeks from now.

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.

Boileau also said Friday new instructions for using rapid tests will soon be available on the government's website. New data suggests that swabbing both cheeks, the back of the throat and both nostrils may yield more accurate results, Boileau said.

Tuesday, the province pushed back the end of mask mandates until the end of April.

Officials do not intend to extend masking requirements into May, Boileau said Friday, however, they will reassess that decision if the province does not appear to be turning the corner two weeks from now.

Expanding 4th doses

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

Boileau reiterated his call for caution among those age 60 and older, as the vast majority of people currently hospitalized in intensive care are in that age group.

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

Officials are also continuing to urge all Quebecers to get a third dose. 

Boileau said Friday that while people under 50 do generally face less risk of serious illness than older Quebecers do, they can reduce their risk even further by getting a third dose.

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