Quebec adds 42 new COVID-19 deaths as hospitalizations fall again

Hospitalizations continued to decline in Quebec as the province reported 42 new pandemic-related deaths on Thursday.

Reduced by 93 cases out of 2,637 hospitalizations related to COVID-19. In which, 191 people are in intensive care, down 13 people compared to the previous day.

Health officials say 193 patients have been hospitalized while 286 remain in the past 24 hours.

Quebec also recorded 3,592 new coronavirus cases as part of its daily tally. The government says the number is not representative of the situation as screening facilities are limited to priority groups.

The province performed 30,390 tests on Tuesday, the most recent day for which that information is available.

Quebecers also continue to sign up for self-published rapid tests on the new government website. To date, 53,858 results have been added, of which 40,941 have tested positive.

When it comes to vaccinations, another 47,935 shots of the COVID-19 vaccine have been given in the last 24 hours. The whole province fired more than 17.8 million shots during the campaign.

Quebec has seen a total of 872,029 cases and 13,378 deaths during the pandemic. The recall has surpassed 815,000.

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Quebec changes plans, sending high school students home with quick COVID-19 test

Quick tests for high school students

Quebec will begin offering COVID-19 rapid tests for high school students to take home over the next few days.

The Department of Health announced on Thursday that rapid tests will also be administered to students in adult education and vocational centers. The province has spent a total of 3.5 million tests.

“This measure is intended to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks in schools,” the ministry said in a statement.

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Boxes of five tests will be shipped to schools in the coming days so teens and adults who have shown symptoms of COVID-19 can test themselves at home.

Prior to the move, educational institutions could only conduct quick tests on-site – and not send student packages home.

The Ministry of Health said it will also distribute more rapid test boxes in preschools and primary schools by the end of February.