COVID-19 in Quebec: What you need to know Thursday

• Quebec reported 2,819new caseson Thursday and 62more deaths, 22of which occurred in the last 24 hours.
• Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 202,641 confirmed cases and 8,226people have died. One death was withdrawn from the count after an investigation showed it wasn't related to COVID-19. Here's aguide to the numbers.
• There are 1,175 people in hospital (a decrease of 36), including 165 intensive care (an increase of 13).
• 3,942 doses ofvaccine were administered yesterday, for a total of 29,250.
• CBC Montreal is collecting stories from Quebecers who have recovered from COVID-19. If you would like to share your experience, pleaseget in touch.

Quebec's Health Ministry has decided to go ahead and use the second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, rather than keeping them in reserve.

The company says supply is assured, so there is no reason to hold the vaccines back.

A government forecast forhospitals in the Montreal areasays COVIDcasescould overwhelm facilities soon.

Thelatest reportfrom the Institutnational d'excellence en sant et en services sociaux(INESSS) indicates a "more than 50 per cent risk" that existing hospital bed capacity for COVID-19 patients in Greater Montreal will run out over the three-week forecast horizon.

The federal government has announced that air passengers entering Canada will soon need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test beforearriving in the country.

Under the new protocol, travellers must receive a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test within a 72-hour period prior to boarding a plane.Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said heexpects the new rulewill be in force within a week.

Provinces including Quebec have been asking for mandatory testing before travellers who spent the holiday season abroad board their flight back home.

The measure does not replace the federal government's mandatory 14-day quarantine period.

Top COVID-19 stories today

• Quebec receives its first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
  Coronavirus outbreak hits Quebec's first vaccination site, public health says "it's expected."
• Quebec points to COVID-19 vaccine maker's rules as reason for slower than planned rollout.
• First case of U.K.'s coronavirus variant detected in Quebec.
• What's essential anyway? Confusion reigns over holiday COVID-19 restrictions.
• Montreal hospitals risk running out of beds for COVID-19 patients by mid-January, projections warn.
• VIDEO |Getting through the holidays during a pandemic.
• Can I get my fridge repaired? Answers to your questions about Quebec's new COVID restrictions.
• What we know about Quebec's vaccine plans and what it means for 2021.