Quebec adds 52 new deaths as COVID-19 hospitalizations rise by 135 to almost 2,900 | Globalnews.ca

Quebec recorded 52 new deaths attributable to COVID-19 on Wednesday as the health crisis continues across the country.

The death toll has reached 12,080 in the province, which has been hard hit by the pandemic and, more recently, the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

Hospitalizations remained on the rise again with 135 new patients for a total of 2,877. Of them, 263 are in intensive care units, an increase of eight from the previous day.

READ MORE: Quebec to impose a tax on people who are unvaccinated from COVID-19

In the past 24-hour period, 457 people were admitted and 322 were discharged from hospitals in the province.

Meanwhile, 8,351 new coronavirus infections were reported in the last day — though health officials say that number is not representative of the situation in the province since official testing is limited. The most recent daily tally brings the total caseload to 766,927.

Quebec gave 42,557 tests at screening centres Monday, the most recent day for which that information is available.

When it comes to vaccination, the province doled out another 107,238 shots of the COVID-19 vaccine. To date, more than 15 million doses have been administered in Quebec.

Health Minister Christian Dubé wrote on Twitter that around 7,000 vaccination appointments were made Tuesday, the same day the province announced a tax for the unvaccinated.

Under the plan — which was scant on details — the government said it will impose a health contribution on those who refuse to be immunized. Premier François Legault said they are still working out the amount to be paid, but that it would be “significant.”

There will be an exception for those who have medical exemptions.

—with files from Global News’ Annabelle Olivier

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