MONTREAL — Quebec health authorities reported 2,511 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, which is the highest single-day increase the province has recorded since the pandemic began. 

Wednesday’s updated numbers bring the total number of cases in Quebec since the start of the pandemic to 199,822. Of them, 21,611 are active, and 170,045 are confirmed recovered. 

Quebec also reported another 41 deaths linked to the disease on Wednesday, for a total of 8,165. Of the latest deaths, 10 occurred in the past 24 hours, 28 took place between Dec. 23 and Dec. 28, and three are from an unknown date. 

Hospitalizations in the province jumped by 80 from Tuesday to Wednesday and there are now 1,211 people receiving care for COVID-19 in Quebec hospitals. Of them, 152 are in the intensive care ward, up four from Tuesday.

In Montreal alone, cumulative cases topped 70,000 on Wednesday when the city reported 754 more (total 70,402). The Monteregie region reported 445 new cases (total 28,071), Laval reported 250 (total 16,438), Quebec City, 226 (total 17,540), Mauricie, 172 (total 9,700), and the Laurentians, 170 (total 10,779).

Quebec reported that it administered 2,739 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday for a total of 25,315 since the operation began. 

The province also announced that it conducted analyses of 28,541 COVID-19 samples on Dec. 28 (Quebec reports its daily testing figures from two days prior).