As fourth-dose vaccination appointments opened up for those 70 and older on Wednesday, the CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS issued a reminder that people should be booking their shots through the clicsante portal online. Doing so, the local healthcare authority advised, will result in a shorter wait time and will ensure access to the service upon arrival at the vaccination centre.
Anyone 60 and up who is interested in a fourth dose will be allowed to get one as of next Monday, April 11, provided that at least three months has passed since they received their third dose.
Quebec reported 19,909 doses of vaccine administered as of Wednesday’s report, the majority of which were fourth doses.
In other news, the province’s health and social services ministry confirmed to The Record that the agreement granting the population access to free rapid test kits through Quebec pharmacies was extended through March 31 of 2023. When initially announced, the program only guaranteed one kit of five free tests per 30 day period per person until the end of March 2022. People taking a rapid test at home are requested to self-report the results at https://covid19.quebec.ca/autodeclaration/accueil.
In other news, the province’s health and social services ministry confirmed to The Record that the agreement granting the population access to free rapid test kits through Quebec pharmacies was extended through March 31 of 2023.
To date 154,902 rapid tests have been reported through the tool, including 124,850 positive. That total includes 1,726 tests from Tuesday, including 1,481 positive.
There were 1,540 people in hospital across Quebec with COVID-19 on Wednesday, an increase of 61 compared to the previous day following 226 new entries and 165 new discharges. Of that total, 66 people were in intensive care; a decrease of three compared to the previous day.
The province also recorded 12 new deaths, for a total of 14,454 since the start of the pandemic.
In the Eastern Townships the number of hospitalizations increased by only one after having jumped by 23 on Tuesday. The number of people in intensive care also went back down to three, from five.
The region reported another new death related to COVID-19, bringing the regional total to 551.
