1) In the past eight months, since just before the start of the second wave in the #pandemic, the sharpest growth in #COVID19 cases in Quebec has occurred in children and teens, according to an analysis of the latest figures by the province’s public health institute.

2) Last Aug. 23, the demographic represented by 10- to 19-year-olds comprised just 5.4% of all cumulative #COVID19 cases in Quebec. By Sunday, that group’s share of all cases jumped to 12.1%. In contrast, octogenarians saw their share drop from 11% to 5.6%.

3) The next demographic to report the biggest percentage increase in total cases are those aged 0 to 9. On Aug. 23, this cohort comprised 3.3% of #COVID19 cases in Quebec. By Sunday, that percentage rose to 8.2. Of course, these are not hospitalizations.

4) During the first wave last spring, the overwhelming majority of patients hospitalized for #COVID19 were in their 80s. The chart below shows that during this third wave it’s Quebecers in their 60s who have been hospitalized the most, followed by those in their 70s and 50s.

5) The ramifications of a growing number of younger Quebecers catching #COVID19 variants are clear. Until they are vaccinated, youths will likely continue to get infected, with most children and teens probably showing mild symptoms but remaining contagious.

6) Meanwhile, Montreal and the rest of Quebec made progress in the #pandemic on several fronts on Sunday. The total number of #COVID19 outbreaks dropped by 19 to 1,184, with the biggest decrease occurring in the workplace. But clusters did rise by two to 111 in daycares.

7) Hospitalizations due to #COVID19 declined for a fourth day in a row, dipping by eight to 654 on Sunday. Intensive-care stays fell by 16 to 165. Most of these decreases occurred outside of Montreal in outlying regions.

8) For weeks, Montreal declared daily #COVID19 cases in the mid-300s. Since last week, the city has started posting daily cases in the 200-to-300 range, as the chart below shows. But to put those numbers in perspective, for three days late last June, Montreal reported zero cases.

9) Quebec on Sunday reported fewer new screened variant cases, 516. That's about two hundred less than weeks ago. This may be because of a decision to cut screening in half in Capitale-Nationale, Chaudière-Applaches and other regions, a decision that still puzzles me.

10) With declining hospitalizations and rising vaccinations, Quebec is managing the third wave better than it did a month ago. But the growing proportion of cases among the province’s youth is a stark reminder that the #pandemic will be with us for some time yet. End of thread.