1) COVID deaths are again rising in the U.S. as mass vaccination of booster shots has stalled. In contrast, Quebec’s #pandemic wave of deaths is beginning to subside following a ramp-up in boosters in the adult population. In this thread, I will delve into these latest trends.
2) According to the latest analysis by the Institut national de santé publique, Quebec’s seven-day average of #COVID deaths per million population has decreased to 7 from 8.4 a week ago. By comparison, the rate in the U.S. climbed by 1.2 to 6.8 during the same period. See below. 
3) The resurgence in #pandemic mortality in the United States follows a plateauing of booster shots administered there in recent weeks. Meanwhile, the chart below shows a steady increase in boosters given in Canada to counter the #Omicron variant.
4) The situation in some states is truly dire. Restrictions-free, anti-vaxx Florida just declared 628 deaths compared with 48 in la belle province. Florida's population is 2.5 times bigger than Quebec’s, yet its latest death toll is 13 times higher.
https://twitter.com/Aaron_Derfel/status/1485408701901070338
5) On Jan. 1, just 17% of Quebec’s population above the age of 5 had received a third #COVID jab. By Friday, 43% of that population had gotten the third dose — an increase of more than 2.1 million shots in almost a month.
6) But as I suggested this week, Quebec authorities were slow to administer booster shots to seniors living in the community — a blind spot that some may argue the government should have foreseen — which led to a bigger wave of deaths than last January.
https://twitter.com/aaron_derfel/status/1486226732155817990
7) As my @mtlgazette colleague @fagstein pointed out, the 48 COVID deaths declared by Quebec on Friday is the third lowest daily count in the past two weeks. Please review the chart below that hints that Quebec’s #pandemic death wave may be subsiding.
8) If this trend holds, it would be because of a more successful vaccination campaign than in the U.S., coupled with pandemic restrictions. But again, this progress could be upended with the return of students to poorly-ventilated schools. Already, 50,000 are absent due to COVID.
9) And as ace reporter @ReneBruemmer reveals, a “stealth” strain of Omicron has been detected in Quebec that may be more transmissible. And as #COVID deaths and hospitalizations drop, Quebec intends to press ahead with easing restrictions. End of thread. montrealgazette.com/news/local-new…
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