The Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, and the national director of public health, Dr. Luc Boileau, will hold a press briefing on Thursday morning to provide an update on the situation surrounding the pandemic in Quebec.

• Read also: COVID-19: increase of 13 deaths and 56 hospitalizations in Quebec

With the end of compulsory mask wearing and the multiplication of events and festivals that bring together thousands of people close together, several experts foresee a rise in cases of COVID-19.

Some are already talking about a seventh summer wave in the province, which is arriving earlier than expected, in particular because of the sub-variants of Omicron that are circulating.

A seventh wave of the coronavirus is already hitting Europe, where COVID-19 cases are rising sharply in most countries.

Quebec recorded an increase of 56 hospitalizations on Wednesday, bringing the total number of Quebecers positive for COVID in hospitals to 1,497. Of these, 40 are in intensive care.