With public health reporting a significant increase in COVID-19 cases in Hamilton following the last weekend in September, the city’s mayor says the “big concern” will be how it affects the region’s hospitals in the next few months.
Fred Eisenberger told Global News he’s not surprised case numbers went up as much as they did in September with schools reopening and the interactions that brings to the general public.
What he says will be the real issue with “opening things up” going forward will be what burden the uptick in cases puts on Hamilton’s hospital system that has five COVID-19 patients as of Monday.
“There’s going to be additional cases. That’s to be expected,” Eisenberger said.
“The bigger concern going forward is going to be what happens in our hospitals. So far, the intakes of the hospitals is low in Hamilton … as long as we keep it that way.”
On Monday, public health said 98 people were known to be fighting the coronavirus following the biggest weekend increase in cases the city has seen since the pandemic began.
Public health reported 41 new cases over the weekend which rivalled the 60 reported cases on Thursday, May 14 in the height of the pandemic in Ontario.
On Monday, Premier Doug Ford said the province was “officially” in the second wave of the pandemic after public health recorded more than 700 new cases – the highest single-day increase ever reported in the province.
Hamilton’s medical officer of health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson believes recent upticks in cases are simply a matter of coronavirus “fatigue” and people taking “more liberties” in getting out and doing things they shouldn’t.
“I think as people went through the second half of the summer and got into later July and August that people saw, ‘well, you know, the case numbers are down. Maybe I can do a little bit more,'” Richardson said.
She went on to say that public health will be reaching out more to the region’s long-term care homes to “double down” their efforts to do what they can to prevent spread within the institutions.
An increase in COVID-19 cases in homes is a scenario that could dwindle capacity for general care since it is more likely older patients will take up much-needed space at local hospitals, and that’s ultimately where her concern lies.
“So it’s all of us that need to make changes, and if not, I am worried,” Richardson said.
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Pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto Dr. Anna Banerji says increases that require hospitalization across the province will pose a real risk to patients who need more general emergency medical procedures.
“It’s not just the COVID patients. It’s all the other patients that can’t get into the few beds because the hospital is full,” Banerji said.
“People who have had a stroke or heart attack or cancer. So it’s huge.”
On Friday, Ontario prohibited alcohol sales after 11 p.m. at restaurants, bars and other food and drink businesses in addition to ordering all strip clubs to closed in hopes of limiting the spread of the virus, according to health minister Christine Elliott.
“As the number of cases have continued to rise, it is evident that despite the tremendous efforts of Ontarians, further action is required to prevent the spread of the virus,” Elliott said in a statement on Friday.
Both Banerji and Eisenberger say the prospect of a second potential lockdown during a second wave is possible and really is in the hands of the public at large.
The mayor says another shutdown, similar to the events in March, April and May, will more than likely mean the end of the road for a number of small businesses in the city.
“The economy, our good work and our protection of our health-care system and protection of one another is in the hands of each and every individual citizen out there doing what they were being asked to do,” Eisenberger said.
“We cannot get ourselves in a position where we’re going to write off people because we can’t look after them in our health-care system.”
Hamilton reports eight new COVID-19 cases
Hamilton public health reported eight new COVID-19 cases on Sept. 29. Hamilton now has a total of 1,150 confirmed cases since the pandemic began.
The city says 45 per cent (39) of the city’s 87 new coronavirus cases in the last 10 days have been among people under the age of 30.
The city has 102 active cases as of Tuesday.
The city has two current institutional outbreaks with one staff case reported on the weekend at both the Rygiel Supports for Community Living and St. Peter’s at Chedoke care home.
Cases in Hamilton-area schools and day-cares
Public Health Ontario says Hamilton schools have reported a combined three cases as of Sept. 29 at:
- Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary School (Ancaster) – 1 case
- Guardian Angel Catholic ES on Centre Road – 1 case
- R L Hyslop Elementary School – 1 case
Hamilton has three cases in child care centres at:
- Hillfield Strathallan College – 1 case
- R L Hyslop – 1 case
- Umbrella Family on Templemead – 1 case
Halton Region reports 25 new COVID-19 cases
Public Health Halton reported 25 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, including 12 cases in Oakville and six in Burlington.
The region has had 1,266 cases since the pandemic began. Public health says there are 178 active cases and 25 deaths tied to COVID-19 as of Sept. 29.
The region has four current institutional outbreaks at three long-term care homes (Billings Court Manor, Creek Way Village and Cama Woodlands in Burlington) and one retirement home (Chartwell Waterford in Oakville).
The agency says 70.4 per cent (100) of its 142 cases in the last 10 days were among residents under the age of 39.
Cases in Halton-area schools and daycares
Public Health Ontario says Halton schools have reported a combined 22 cases as of Sept. 29 at the following locations:
Burlington – 7
- Mohawk Gardens Public School – 1 case
- Nelson Secondary School – 2 cases
- St. Patrick Catholic Elementary School – 4 cases
Oakville – 11
- Emily Carr Public School – 1 case
- Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School – 1 case
- Maple Grove Public School – 1 case
- St. Andrew Catholic Elementary School – 1 case
- St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Secondary School – 1 case
- St. Marguerite d’Youville Catholic Elementary School – 1 case
- St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School – 1 case
- Sunningdale Public School – 2 cases
- West Oak Public School – 1 case
- White Oaks Secondary School – 1 case
Milton – 3
- St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Elementary School – 2 cases
- St. Francis Xavier Catholic Elementary School – 1 case
Halton Hills -1
- St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary School (Halton Hills) – 1 case
Halton has three cases in child care centres at:
- Bruce Trail Early Learning (Milton) – 1 case
- YMCA Sunningdale (Oakville) – 2 cases
Niagara Region reports five new COVID-19 cases
Niagara public health reported five new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday.
The region has reported 1,065 cases since the pandemic began. The region has 87 current active cases as of Sept. 29.
There are two current COVID-19 outbreaks at Pioneer Elder Care in St. Catharines and Deer Park Villa nursing home in Grimsby.
Since the pandemic began, 40 per cent (426) of the region’s 1,065 cases have occurred in people under the age of 39.
Sixty-four people with COVID-19 have died in Niagara.
Cases in Niagara-area schools and daycares
Public Health Ontario says Niagara schools have reported a combined 11 cases as of Sept. 29 at the following locations:
St. Catharines – 5
- Canadian Martyrs Catholic Elementary School – 1 case
- Ferndale Public School – 1 case
- Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School – 1 case
- Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School – 1 case
- William Hamilton Merritt Elementary School – 1 case
Welland – 4
- Eastdale Secondary School – 3 cases
- l’École Élementaire Catholique Sacré-Cœur – 1 case
Niagara Falls – 2
- Mary Ward Catholic Elementary School – 1 case
- St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Elementary School – 1 case
The region has not reported any cases in child care centres for September.
Haldimand-Norfolk reports no new COVID-19 cases
The Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit (HNHU) reported no new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. The region has an overall total of 491 lab-confirmed positive cases.
Officials say there are four active cases as of Sept. 29.
Public health says 32.9 per cent (162) of all cases in the region involve people between the ages of 20 and 39.
Thirty-two people have died as a result of COVID-19, with the bulk of the deaths (27) tied to residents at Anson Place Care Centre in Hagersville.
The HNHU says there is one current outbreak at Delrose Retirement Residence tied to a resident who tested positive for COVID-19.
The region has not reported any cases in schools or child care centres as of September.
Brant County reports 1 new COVID-19 case
Brant County’s health unit says it recorded one new COVID-19 case on Tuesday. The region has a total of 187 confirmed cases since the pandemic began.
There are 16 active cases as of Sept. 29.
Public health says 36.90 per cent (70) of all cases in the county involve people between the ages of 20 and 39.
The region has one current institutional outbreak at Charlotte Villa retirement home in Brantford involving a staff member.
Five people in the county have died due to COVID-19.
Cases in Brant County schools and daycares
Public Health Ontario says Brant County schools have reported a combined five coronavirus cases as of Sept. 29 at:
Brant County – 2
- Cobblestone Elementary School Brant – 2 cases
Brantford – 3
- Onondaga-Brant Public School – 1 case
- Russell Reid Elementary School – 1 case
- St. Pius X Catholic Elementary School – 1 case
Brant County has one child-care case at Le Ballon Rouge daycare centre in Brantford.
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