Public health officials in Hamilton, Ont., say there’s another COVID-19 outbreak at a congregate dwelling on the Mountain.
The city says a positive novel coronavirus test involving a staff member was reported at a Community Living Hamilton residence.
In a release on Thursday, the facility said it was working with public health and the case has been categorized as a “casual contact” situation with a low risk of exposure for other staff and residents.
“All staff and the four clients who were in contact with this individual are being tested and the agency is awaiting results,” the organization said in its release.
The outbreak is the first for the city since early June and is the only current institutional outbreak.
Hamilton reports no new COVID-19 cases
On Thursday, Hamilton public health reported no new COVID-19 cases. The city’s overall case count since the pandemic began still stands at 869, with 860 confirmed and nine probable.
To date, 803 of the city’s known COVID-19 cases — 92 per cent — have been resolved.
There were no new reported deaths on Thursday. 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 2 new COVID-19 cases
Niagara public health officials reported two more coronavirus cases on Thursday. The region has 785 total cases, with 24 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 (697) 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 Thursday. Overall, since the pandemic began in March, the region has seen 445 lab-confirmed, positive cases.
Officials say 396 of those patients have since recovered.
Halton Region reports 3 new COVID-19 cases
Halton Region reported three new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. The region has 885 cases, including 801 confirmed positive and 84 probable cases.
The region still has 25 deaths tied to COVID-19 as of July 16, with 12 the result of an outbreak at an institution.
Public health says 819 cases, or more than 92 per cent, have been resolved.
The region has no institutional outbreaks as of Thursday.
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 no new COVID-19 cases
Brant County’s health unit (BCHU) reported no new COVID-19 cases on Thursday. The region has 136 total confirmed cases as of July 16.
The county still has four deaths, with 120 total resolved cases. There is one COVID-19 patient currently in hospital, and is reporting 11 “non-hospitalized” active cases.
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.
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. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.