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

• Quebec reported 1,624new caseson Thursdayand 66more deaths.
• Since the start of the pandemic, there have been248,860confirmed cases and 9,273people have died.
• There are 1,453people in hospital (adecrease of 14), including 216in intensive care (the same as a day earlier).
• 11,950doses ofvaccine were administered on Wednesday. A total of 186,210doses 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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Premier Franois Legaultsayshe's encouraged by the declining number of daily cases, though he cautionsit's too early to think about lifting restrictions.

"Things are going in the right direction over the past 10 days but we need to reduce the number of hospitalizations," he said at a news conference Thursday.

Legaultsaid he's still concerned about travellers bringing back the virus from abroad, and if non-essential flights aren't banned by the federal government then he may look at forcing Quebecers to quarantine in a hotel, at their own expense,after returning home.

He also reiteratedhe won't relaxhow curfew rules are applied to homeless people in Montreal, after a man died over the weekend.

"Our police officers know very well the reality of the homeless. They won't give them tickets for fun," he said, after offering his condolences.

On Wednesday, federal Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said the death could have been avoided and joined Montreal Mayor Valrie Plantein asking Quebec to be more lenient with the city's homeless population.

Thebody of Raphal Andr, aman originally from the Innu community ofMatimekush-LacJohn, was found in a portable toilet.

Meanwhile,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.

Quebec's new public health regulations explained

4 years ago

Duration 3:53

As Quebec descends into its first quarantine curfew since the era of the Spanish flu, there are more rules to follow and fewer opportunities to bend them undetected.

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• 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.