COVID-19 in Quebec: What you need to know this weekend

• Quebec reported 648new caseson Sundayand fivemore deaths.
• Since the start of the pandemic, there have been302,339confirmed cases and10,599people have died.
• There are501people in hospital (a decrease of four), including 102in intensive care (an increase of three).
• 28,543 doses ofvaccine were administered on Saturday for atotal of 944,793sinceDec. 14.

Health MinisterChristian Dubsaysthe province hopes to sign up 20 to 50 large companies that will each be able to vaccinate 15,000 to 25,000 people over a number of weeks, when shipments of doses increasesignificantly in May and June.

As of Sunday evening, people living on the island of Montrealwho are aged 60 and older are eligible to book appointments for a COVID-19 vaccine. In the rest of the province, thosewho are 65 and older are eligible.

On Saturday, for the first time since the start of the pandemic, the province administered more than 40,000 vaccine shots in a single day.

While the province's vaccination rollout plan is well underway, the Saguenayregion, which has been designated orange since mid-February, is teetering on red.

The region saw another bump in new daily cases Saturday, at 53, the highest increase in weeks.

Saguenay director of public health Dr. Donald Aubin said this week the number of new daily cases has surpassed the threshold to be bumped up to red, but he's keeping an eye on other criteria, such as the overall pressure on the health network.

Meanwhile, three of the province's regions are set to be downgraded to the yellow alert level this week.

Thatmeans, among some loosened restrictions, such as doing away with the curfew, bars will be able to reopen in the Gasp and the Magdalen Islands, the North Shore, and Northern Quebec.

In orange and red zones, twoindustry groups representing barshave sent a joint letter to the Legault government asking for the right to reopen at the beginning of April,while following strict COVID-19 preventionmeasures.

They say many establishments have been shuttered for about three quarters of the last year, and they are struggling.

If you have been feelingisolated, we'vecompiledsome ways to help copeas part ofa special CBC Quebec project calledOut of the Dark: Real Talk on Mental Health.

Top COVID-19 stories today

• The governmentwill face hurdles in its attempt to vaccinate nearly every Quebecer by June 24
• Montreal clinic hopes to find answers for COVID 'long haulers'
• Gyms and spas to reopen in COVID red zonesbut don't expect your spin class to resume.
• The province's physicians and nurses say government needs to tighten screws on private CHSLDs.
• AstraZeneca says its vaccine review found no evidence of increased blood clot risks.
• The Canada-U.S. border's been shut down for a year and there's no reopening plan.