Quebec reports 1,136 new COVID-19 cases, including 17 deaths and a rise in hospitalizations
A report released by a Quebec public health authority said that most of the cases from April's outbreak was from the manufacturing industry.
Quebec reported 1,136 new cases of COVID-19 on Apr. 20 and 17 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, including four in the previous 24 hours.
Health officials said hospitalizations rose by eight, to 694, and 177 people were in intensive care, a drop of six.
The province said it administered 47,799 doses of vaccine on Apr. 19, for a total of 2,448,409; almost 30 per cent of the population has received at least one dose.
Montreal reported the highest number of new cases on Apr. 19, with 224, followed by Quebec City with 195, and the Chaudiere-Appalaches region, south of the provincial capital, with 140.
The regional health authority in south central Montreal said it is in the process of opening three vaccination sites for Indigenous people who live in the city.
The authority said the sites, which will have interpreters and other culturally sensitive resources, are intended to help prevent movement between regions. Vaccination is already open to all adults in many Indigenous communities in Quebec.
One site opened on Apr. 19, with the other two scheduled to open over the next eight days.
Meanwhile, Quebec’s public health institute said the number of workplace outbreaks in the province rose for three consecutive weeks between March 21 and April 10.
In a report released on Apr. 19, the Institut national de sante publique du Quebec said there were 589 workplace outbreaks in the province during the week ending April 10, the highest number of workplace outbreaks since the week ending Jan. 30.
The institute said there were 2,981 cases linked to those outbreaks, which don’t include outbreaks in schools, daycares or long-term care centres. The majority were in the manufacturing industry.
The institute said there was a significant increase in the number of workplace outbreaks in the Quebec City, Outaouais and Chaudiere-Appalaches regions, while the number in Montreal has declined for five straight weeks.
