Hamilton says the city’s 43rd COVID-19 death is the 15th connected to one of the worst institutional outbreaks the city has had since the coronavirus pandemic began.
On Monday, public health said the death of an 86-year-old man in hospital on Saturday is tied to a mid-May outbreak at the Rosslyn retirement residence.
In all, 52 residents were transferred from the facility to two Hamilton hospitals on May 15 after it was discovered that 64 residents and 22 staff had been exposed to the novel coronavirus.
Last week, the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) said it revoked the residence’s licence “after careful review and consideration of the information collected through inspections, complaints and reports from staff and the public.”
The residence received its first public order in April, requiring the operation to fulfill a COVID-19 checklist provided by public health inspectors. It was issued another order on May 14 in response to the outbreak.
Later in May the home also failed a public health inspection after city food safety inspectors discovered mould and mouse droppings in the facility’s kitchen.
Hamilton has 802 coronavirus cases as of June 22, with 793 confirmed and nine probable cases, according to public health.
The city has no current institutional outbreaks and 16 COVID-19 patients in hospitals: 14 with Hamilton Health Sciences and two with St. Joseph’s hospital.
To date, 708 of the city’s known COVID-19 cases — 88 per cent — have been resolved.
In an effort to decrease coronavirus cases among youth, the city launched a physical-distancing campaign on Monday.
The promotion, titled “Physical Distancing Hamilton Style,” is expected to hit workplaces, hospitals, libraries and schools through a number of digital platforms, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Hamilton’s medical officer of health revealed the plan in early June after an uptick in coronavirus cases among the 20 to 29 age group, particularly with those between 20 and 24.
As of June 12, the age group accounted for 44 per cent of new cases in the city and makes up 20 per cent (163 of 802) of the city’s coronavirus cases.
The city also announced that the coronavirus surge shelter at First Ontario Place will be decommissioned by the end of summer.
About 75 homeless men who’ve been living in the surge shelter will be moved to the Salvation Army Booth Centre, where $400,000 in funding from upper levels of government will be used to renovate the facility and increase its capacity.
Three individuals experiencing homelessness have tested positive for the virus in Hamilton’s shelter system.
Niagara Region reports 3 new COVID-19 cases
Niagara public health officials reported three new coronavirus cases on Monday. The region has 741 total cases, with 25 of them active.
The region reported no new deaths, leaving the overall total at 61, with 50 tied to long-term care or retirement homes.
The region has two institutional outbreaks at long-term care homes (Garden City Manor in St. Catharines and Crescent Park Lodge in Fort Erie).
Eighty-eight per cent (655) of Niagara’s cases have been resolved.
Haldimand-Norfolk reports migrant worker as latest COVID-19-related death
Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit (HNHU) says the region’s 32nd COVID-19-connected death was a migrant worker employed at a farm in Norfolk County, Ont.
Advocacy group Migrant Rights Network identified the man as a 55-year-old father of four from Mexico who had been coming to Canada to work since 2010.
The health unit says the farm has seen 199 cases among migrant workers, with 18 other cases involving people associated with the farm.
The two counties have a combined 445 lab-confirmed, positive cases as of June 22.
Officials say 178 of those patients have since recovered.
Halton Region reports four new COVID-19 cases
Halton Region reported four new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. The region now has 798 cases, including 720 confirmed positive and 78 probable cases.
The region still has 25 deaths tied to COVID-19 as of June 22, with 12 the result of an outbreak at an institution.
West Milton continues to be the region’s hot spot, with more than 26 cases per 10,000 people.
Public health says 708 cases, or more than 89 per cent, have been resolved.
The region has two outbreaks at long-term care homes, CAMA Woodlands and Billings Court, in Burlington.
Seventy-nine cases are connected to residents or patients in an institution.
Brant County reports no new COVID-19 cases
Brant County’s health unit reported no new COVID-19 cases on Monday. The region has 121 total confirmed cases.
The county still has only four deaths with 110 total resolved cases.
There is one institutional outbreak at Telfer Place retirement residence after two staff members tested positive for the disease in mid-June. It’s the second outbreak at the facility since the pandemic began in March.
The region has now tested 11,355 people in total and says 71 per cent of those who had positive results picked up COVID-19 through close contact with someone who had the disease.
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