Hamilton, Ont., reported two more COVID-19 deaths connected to the Rosslyn retirement residence on the weekend as the city’s total number of cases topped 693 as of Monday.
The city’s 37th death was a 93-year-old man who died on Friday and the 38th a 95-year-old man who passed on Saturday. Both men died in hospital.
Despite the deaths, the city declared the outbreak at the Rosslyn retirement home over on the weekend.
The east-end facility reported 83 coronavirus cases amid a COVID-19 outbreak compounded by staffing problems on May 15, according to the city.
Public health said the shortage in staff was due to 19 workers testing positive at the facility and generally low staffing levels provider organizations tend to keep.
During an update on Friday, before announcing the outbreak over, the city’s medical officer of health said the operator of The Rosslyn retirement home was working with the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) towards a potential reopening.
However, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson did not reveal any timelines for the return of residents.
The facility had another set back on Friday when the home’s kitchen was ordered closed by public health after an inspection uncovered mould and mouse droppings.
Ten people have died from COVID-19 at the home, according to public health.
The city has five institutional outbreaks at three retirement residences (Aberdeen Gardens, Alexander Place and Desmond & Peggy Little Retirement home), one long-term care home (Macassa Lodge) and the COVID-19 unit at Hamilton General Hospital.
Public health says the city has eleven more positive cases as of June 1 with 693 confirmed cases and seven probable.
Hamilton hospitals say, in all, they have 60 COVID-19 patients in care units — Hamilton Health Sciences has 31 while St. Joseph’s hospitals say they have 29.
Four hundred-ninety-four of the city’s 685 COVID-19 cases — or 72 per cent — have been resolved.
Niagara Region reports spike in COVID-19 cases connected to greenhouse
Niagara public health reported a spike in COVID-19 cases on Monday. The region says they added 23 new cases to put the region’s total number at 666.
The bulk of the cases are connected to the Pioneer Flower Farms greenhouse in St. Catharines.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, the farm said three employees tested positive for the virus in mid to late-May, which prompted testing of 80 plus workers.
On Sunday night, Pioneer said at least 18 other people were positive or asymptomatic for the virus.
On Monday, public health confirmed it was investigating the outbreak and said all the ill employees have been isolated while exposed employees have either been isolated or are working separately to prevent further spread.
“While this workplace poses no particular risk to the broader community, it is a reminder that although Niagara has had success in reducing COVID-19, persons are still becoming ill with the infection,” Mustafa Hirji, acting medical officer of health, said in a statement on Monday.
The region had no more new deaths since last week and has 59 deaths in total, with 48 tied to nursing homes or retirement residences.
Three-quarters of the regions total cases — 559 — have been resolved, according to public health.
Two outbreaks were declared over on the weekend at long-term care home Kilean Lodge in Grimsby, and retirement residence Lundy Manor in Niagara Falls.
Niagara has four current institutional outbreaks at two retirement homes (Albright Manor in Lincoln, and West Park Health Centre in St. Catharines), one long-term-care home (Royal Rose Place in Welland) and at one unit of the Greater Niagara General Hospital.
Haldimand-Norfolk with more than 300 total COVID-19 cases after outbreak on farm
Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit (HNHU) says an outbreak reported on the weekend among “migrant agricultural workers” at a farm in Vittoria, Ont., has pushed its total COVID-19 cases over 300.
The region said 85 individuals tested positive for the novel coronavirus at Scotlynn Group, with approximately 25 workers showing symptoms of the disease.
Five workers have been admitted to hospital, according to HNHU.
Haldimand-Norfolk now has 338 lab-confirmed positive cases as of Monday.
HNHU says 136 people have recovered since the pandemic began and 31 have died.
Halton region reports 2 new COVID-19 cases
Halton Region reported two new cases of novel coronavirus on Monday. The region now has 719 total cases, 645 confirmed positive cases and 74 probable.
There are no new deaths as of June 1. The region has 25 deaths tied to COVID-19 with 11 from a confirmed outbreak at an institution.
Public health says more than 72 per cent (591) of its cases have now been resolved.
The region reported two institutional outbreaks in Oakville over on the weekend at long-term care homes West Oak Village and Wyndham Manor.
Halton’s three current outbreaks — all at long-term care homes — include Bennett centre in Halton Hills, Creek Way Village in Burlington and Extendicare Halton Hills.
Seventy-eight of the region’s cases are connected to residents or patients in an institutional outbreak.
Brant County reports no new COVID-19 cases
Brant County’s health unit (BCHU) reported one new case of COVID-19 on the weekend.
The region has 109 confirmed cases with only one person receiving care in a hospital.
The county has four deaths and 97 total resolved cases.
There are no institutional or community outbreaks as of Monday.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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