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

• Quebec reported 8,231new cases ofCOVID-19 on Mondayand 10 new deaths.
• Since the start of the pandemic, there have been519,326 confirmed cases and11,668 people have died.
• There are 614people in hospital (an increase of 169 since Dec. 23),including 109in intensive care (an increase of 21since Dec. 23)*.
• The province has administered 14,619,762doses ofCOVID-19 vaccines as ofDec. 23.
• 89per cent of the eligible population in the province (ages five and up) hasreceived one dose of vaccine, 82per cent hasreceived two doses, and 13 per cent have received boosters, according to data released Monday.

*Quebec'sHealth Ministry does not publish the number of vaccines administered on weekends and public holidays. Itwill not be publishing daily COVID-19 data on Dec. 24, 25, and 26, as well as Dec. 31, Jan. 1 and 2.

All adults 60 and over in Quebec can book an appointment for a booster shot against COVID-19, starting today.

According to the latest data released by public health, 28 per cent of people 60 and over had already received a third dose in the province.

Groups that were already eligible to receive a third dose include people living in seniors' residences and long-term care centres (CHSLDs, RPAs), health-care workers, some people with a weakened immune system and adults 65 years of age and over.

Outbreak at CHSLDMarguerite-Rocheleau

CHSLDMarguerite-Rocheleau a long-term care residence for seniors is reporting a major outbreak. The outbreak began on Dec. 22. So far 59 residentsand 39 staff are infected, and two are dead.

"All the people who aren't doing well are the unvaccinated people," said Paul Arbec,president ofArbec Health Group,the company who runs the residence. He said 80 to 95 per cent are without symptoms at all.

Arbecbelieves the virus entered into the CHSLDthrough community transmission via visitors and employees.

Tighter restrictions

New public health restrictions come into effect in Quebec Sunday as COVID-19 case counts soar across the country.

The province is capping private gatherings at six people or two family bubbles as it reported another 7,874 new COVID-19 cases and three new deaths on Sunday.

Restaurants are now also limited to serving groups of six, or two family bubbles down from 10 people and three households.

Bars, gyms, movie theatres, concert venues and spas remain closed until further notice.

The highly infectious Omicron variant of the virus has been driving a surge in COVID-19 cases across much of Canada in recent weeks.

Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, has said Omicron has become the dominant variant in several provinces.

Several Montreal hospitals limit visitors

Multiple Montreal hospitals have suspended or restricted visitors, as of Sunday, as COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant surge across the city.

As of 8 a.m. on Dec. 26, "all patient visits will be prohibited until further notice, except for a few exceptions," the Centre hospitalier de l'Universit de Montral (CHUM) said on Saturday.

Those exceptions include end-of-life care, medical assistance in dying and childbirth.

On Friday, the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) announced it is also restricting visits in intensive care and critical care units at the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Montreal General Hospital and the Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital.

For a two-week period starting at 7:30 a.m. Sunday, visits will only be allowed in end-of-life situations or based on the clinical judgment of the care team, the health-care network said in a statement.

The health-centres say the restrictions are intended to keep both staff and the hospitals' most vulnerable patients safe.

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