Hamilton hospitals are teaming up to open a temporary health-care facility downtown which is expected to handle overflow during a potential surge in COVID-19 cases in the city.
The new operation, to be located at Effort Square on King Street East near Catharine Street, will house patients who do not require hospital care, and are awaiting transfer to a community-based location.
Clinical teams as well as a primary care physician are expected to be a part of the project which has a tentative move-in date for patients on Oct. 19.
The satellite facility is a part of a province-wide funding initiative of $741 million to address service backlogs across Ontario.
“With the province experiencing a second wave of COVID-19, we are grateful to the Ministry of Health for its support as we continue to prepare for a potential surge in hospital cases locally,” said St. Joseph’s Hamilton hospital president Melissa Farrell in a release on Thursday afternoon.
Hamilton Health Sciences president Rob MacIsaac says the facility will protect acute care capacity in local hospitals heading into the 2020-2021 “infectious season.”
“The new satellite health facility will allow us to support patients who are waiting for alternate care arrangements in the community while reserving in-hospital space for those with the most urgent medical needs,” said MacIsaac.
Hamilton reports six new COVID-19 cases
Hamilton public health reported six new COVID-19 cases on Oct. 1. The city now has a total of 1,166 confirmed cases since the pandemic began.
Officials say 45 per cent (41) of the city’s 92 new coronavirus cases in the last 10 days have been among people under the age of 30.
Hamilton has 100 active cases as of Thursday.
The city also has two current institutional outbreaks with one staff case reported 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 five active cases as of Oct. 1 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
- St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Elementary School – 2 cases
Hamilton has three active 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 14 new COVID-19 cases
Public Health Halton reported 14 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, including six new cases in Oakville and five in Burlington.
The region has had 1,293 cases since the pandemic began. Public health says there are 159 active cases as of Oct. 1.
There are 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 67.1 per cent (96) of its 143 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 23 active cases as of Oct. 1 at the following locations:
Burlington – 7
- Gary Allan High School – 1 case
- Mohawk Gardens Public School – 1 case
- Nelson Secondary School – 2 cases
- St. Patrick Catholic Elementary School – 3 cases
Oakville – 11
- Emily Carr Public School – 1 case
- Heritage Glen 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. 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 – 2
- St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary School (Halton Hills) – 2 cases
Halton has three active cases in child care centres at:
- Bruce Trail Early Learning (Milton) – 1 case
- YMCA Sunningdale (Oakville) – 2 cases
Niagara Region reports nine new COVID-19 cases
Niagara public health reported nine new COVID-19 cases on Thursday.
The region has reported 1,082 cases since the pandemic began. The region has 99 current active cases as of Oct. 1.
There are three current COVID-19 institutional outbreaks at Pioneer Elder Care in St. Catharines, Deer Park Villa nursing home in Grimsby, and the latest reported on Tuesday at Millennium Trail Manor in Niagara Falls.
Since the pandemic began, 40.2 per cent (435) of the region’s 1,082 cases have occurred in people under the age of 39.
Cases in Niagara-area schools and daycares
Public Health Ontario says Niagara schools have reported a combined 11 cases as of Oct. 1 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 active cases in child care centres.
Haldimand-Norfolk reports no new COVID-19 cases
The Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit (HNHU) reported no new COVID-19 cases on Thursday. The region has an overall total of 491 lab-confirmed positive cases.
Officials say there are four active cases as of Oct. 1.
Public health says 32.7 per cent (161) of all cases in the region involve people between the ages of 20 and 39.
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 active cases in schools or child care centres.
Brant County reports 3 new COVID-19 cases
Brant County’s health unit says it recorded three new COVID-19 cases on Thursday. The region has a total of 191 confirmed cases since the pandemic began.
There are 17 active cases as of Oct. 1.
Public health says 36.13 per cent (69) 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.
Cases in Brant County schools and daycares
Public Health Ontario says Brant County schools have reported a combined five active coronavirus cases as of Oct. 1 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
The region has not reported any active cases in child care centres as of Oct. 1.