Quebec registers big jump in COVID-19 cases, health minister says

MONTREAL — Quebec’s health minister says the province is registering a jump in the number of new COVID-19 cases, with 550 additional infections.

Christian Dube revealed the number today during an interview on the radio station 98.5 FM, several hours before the official report is to be published. Health officials reported 345 new cases Tuesday.

Dube says 19 more people have entered hospital since the last numbers were released, adding that 90 per cent of those patients weren’t considered adequately vaccinated.

The numbers come as the smartphone applications that will run Quebec’s vaccine passport system become available for download by Apple users.

Starting Sept. 1, residents 13 years old and up will be required to show proof of vaccination to access businesses the government deems non-essential, such as gyms, bars and restaurants.

Residents have been emailed a quick response code by the Health Department as vaccination proof, which can be linked to the application, while businesses will be required to download a special application to read the codes.