COVID-19 in Quebec: What you need to know this weekend

• Quebec reported 1,457new caseson Sunday and 41more deaths.
• Since the start of the pandemic, there have been253,633confirmed cases and 9,478people have died.
• There are 1,327people in hospital (adecrease of 56), including 219in intensive care (an increase of three).
• 9,715doses ofvaccine were administered on Friday. A total of 210,252doses have been administered since Dec. 14.
• CBC Montreal is collecting stories from Quebecers who have recovered from COVID-19. If you would like to share your experience, pleaseget in touch.

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A study out of Montreal's Heart Institute suggests a widely available anti-inflammatory drug may be effective in helping COVID-19 patients stay away from hospitals and survive the disease.

Researchers studied 4,500 people suspected of having COVID-19 4,200 of whom had tested positive for the infection with apolymerase chain reaction(PCR) test.

The study found the anti-inflammatory drug,colchicine, reduced the chance of death or hospitalization by 21 per cent when compared to a placebo.

Meanwhile, Health Minister ChristianDubsaid on Twitter Sunday the number of cases in the province appears to be decreasingcompared to the past two weeks.

The province is now averaging 1,560 cases per day. It was averaging around 2,500 at the start of the month.

Dubsays while this is promising, Quebecers need to keep following COVID-19 guidelines closely to make sure the number of hospitalizations and deaths decrease as well.

The pandemic has been difficult for everyone, and experts say it's important to remember that there is a lot right now that is beyond our control.

If you have been feelingisolated, we've compiledsome ways to help cope as part ofa special CBC Quebec project calledOut of the Dark: Real Talk on Mental Health.

Top COVID-19 stories today

• Quebec allows places of worships to reopen, with strict gathering limits.
• City of Montreal converts arena, skate park into shelters and warming centre for the homeless.
• Pfizer's delivery slowdown forces Quebec to adjust vaccination targets.
• Citing threat from COVID-19 variants, Quebec calls on Ottawa to ban vacation travel.
• CBC'sinteractivecoronavirus trackerwithcases, hospitalizations and vaccinations across Canada
• Quebec plans to use rapid tests, days after health minister said they weren't needed.
• Montreal will startvaccinating homeless population after spike in COVID-19 cases.
• Here's alist of acceptable reasons for being out after curfew in Quebec.