Quebec public health has announced 489 new coronavirus cases— including 20 more hospitalizations— since Monday morning.
According to Santé Quebec, the province’s coronavirus death toll hasn’t risen from the previously reported 5,805 after announcing zero new COVID-19-related deaths since the two on Sunday.
At a press conference this afternoon, Health Minister Christian Dubé said five regions are now on orange alert: —Laval, Outaouais, Montreal, Quebec City and Chaudière-Appalaches.
In addition, a region today went from green to yellow alert: Centre-du-Québec.
The second wave looks much different from the first because said Dube: "We see that regions that have been spared such as Capitale-Nationale, Chaudiere-Appalaches during the first wave are now very affected by the virus."
Dube continued to explain that the main difference between the first and second wave is community spread. In the first wave of COVID-19 in the province, many cases spread throughout elder-care homes, whereas in this wave, cases are spreading throughout the community, and largely among younger people.
"Even though it doesn't have as many deaths and hospitalizations, it's really very painful," he said. "Even if the age of infected people is younger, at the end of the day it will end up among the most vulnerable people."
"So far the outbreaks in schools have not been at the level where we need to change," he added, stating that officials continue to revisit and sometimes revise their decisions as the situation unfolds.
There are now 68,617 cases in the province, 168 hospitalizations, and 28 patients in the ICU.
