MONTREAL — Quebec is reporting 551 new COVID-19 infections today — the lowest number of new daily cases since September.

Hospitalizations continue to drop: health officials said the number of COVID-19 patients fell by seven, to 501, and that there were three fewer people in intensive care, for a total of 116.

Officials are also reporting eight more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, including two in the past 24 hours.

The province says 71,701 doses of vaccine were administered Sunday, for a total of 4,396,507; about 49 per cent of Quebecers have received at lease dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Health Minister Christian Dubé said on Sunday the province was 85,000 vaccine appointments shy of ensuring that 75 per cent of adults had received at least one dose of vaccine or had booked an appointment to get one.

Quebec has reported a total of 363,847 COVID-19 cases and 11,042 deaths linked to the virus.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2021.

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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

The Canadian Press