Public health officials in Hamilton, Ont., say a positive novel coronavirus test reported on the weekend from an employee at Grace Villa long-term care home is actually now negative.
On Monday, the city told Global News that the home was being monitored for a potential outbreak after discovering a positive result during a recent round of testing among residents and workers at the home on Lockton Crescent near the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway.
However, on Tuesday, a spokesperson from the city sent a correction saying there were no positive tests and that an outbreak at the home will not be declared after all.
In the city’s pandemic update on Tuesday afternoon, Hamilton’s medical officer of health said the case was initially discovered to be an asymptomatic individual, and that public health decided to do more study before declaring an outbreak.
“We continue to do more work before we actually usually do declare an outbreak to make sure that it’s not a false positive,” said Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, “And as well, just to make sure there’s not any further spread, that is of concern.”
Richardson said secondary results on that individual came back as negative and that the case will be removed from the province’s COVID-19 case count.
With the false-positive test, the home avoided a second outbreak during the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-May, an outbreak was declared at Grace Villa after two employees tested positive for the coronavirus.
It was one of 12 outbreaks at nine long-term care homes in the city at the time.
That outbreak was declared over the following week.
Hamilton reports 2 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday
On Monday, Hamilton public health reported 2 new COVID-19 cases from the weekend which puts the city’s overall case-count since the pandemic began at 868, with 860 confirmed and eight probable.
The city has no current institutional outbreaks.
To date, 800 of the city’s known COVID-19 cases — 92 per cent — have been resolved.
There were no new reported deaths on Tuesday. The city has 44 total coronavirus-related deaths with 34 connected to an institutional outbreak.
On Monday, the province announced that Hamilton will remain in Stage 2 as a number of other regions move to Stage 3 of the COVID-19 reopening plan on Friday.
Niagara Region reports 4 new COVID-19 cases
Niagara public health officials reported four more coronavirus cases on Tuesday. The region has 783 total cases, with 26 of them active.
The region has 64 deaths connected to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The region has three institutional outbreaks at the Garden City Manor, Linhaven, and Tabor Manor long-term care homes in St. Catharines.
Eighty-eight per cent (693) of Niagara’s cases have been resolved.
On Monday, the province announced that Niagara will also remain in Stage 2 while other regions move to Stage 3 of the COVID-19 re-opening plan on Friday.
Haldimand-Norfolk reports no new COVID-19 cases
Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit (HNHU) reported no new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. Overall, since the pandemic began in March, the region has seen 444 lab-confirmed, positive cases.
Officials say 396 of those patients have since recovered.
Halton Region reports 4 new COVID-19 cases
Halton Region reported four new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. The region has 880 cases, including 798 confirmed positive and 82 probable cases.
The region still has 25 deaths tied to COVID-19 as of July 14, with 12 the result of an outbreak at an institution.
Public health says 812 cases, or more than 92 per cent, have been resolved.
The region has no institutional outbreaks as of Tuesday.
The province announced on July 13 that while other regions will move to Stage 3 of the provincial reopening plan on Friday, Halton region will remain at Stage 2.
Seventy-nine of Halton’s total cases are connected to residents or patients in an institution.
Brant County reports 1 new COVID-19 case
Brant County’s health unit (BCHU) reported one new COVID-19 case on Tuesday. The region has 134 total confirmed cases as of July 14.
The county still has four deaths, with 119 total resolved cases. There are no COVID-19 patients currently in hospital.
The region has one institutional outbreak at Briarwood Gardens Long-Term Care & Retirement Home. On Saturday, one staff member tested positive for COVID-19. The home had a previous outbreak that started at the end of April and ended in mid-May.
Brant County will move into Stage 3 of the province’s COVID-19 reopening plan on Friday.
The directive means most businesses and public spaces will now be able to open with “appropriate health and safety measures in place,” the province said in a release on Monday.
Several activities and business are not included in the expanded opening: Amusement parks, overnight camps for children, buffets, restaurants and bars with dancing, karaoke rooms, sports events with prolonged contact, saunas, steam rooms, bathhouses, oxygen bars, as well as casinos and gaming establishments will not be permitted to operate in Stage 3.