With around 2,000 aid positions to fill, the Quebec government is calling on bureaucrats and public sector employees to temporarily fill positions in the healthcare system while fast-track training programs prepare new employees to meet the shortfall.
The most recent data on the evolution of COVID-19 in Quebec is reporting 5,400 new cases, keeping in mind testing is exclusive to frontline and essential workers at the moment. The bulk of the general population is relying on rapid tests, and no reliable data is available regarding those results.
The province estimates the total number of people infected to 801,153 since the beginning of the pandemic.
In the last day 54 new deaths were reported, for a total of 12,364 deaths in the province.
Hospitalizations increased by 81 compared to the previous day, for a total of 3,381.
Of those, 286 patients are in intensive care, an increase of four compared to the previous day.
In the Estrie region, the local public health authority announced that the new vaccination centre on Bowen Street is increasing capacity and is opening up slots for the general population, available to book through ClicSanté.
The region is currently monitoring 127 outbreaks, and reported 650 new cases in Estrie since Friday. The number of staff out because of Covid on the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS territory decreased from around 1,300 in recent weeks to 477.
