The medical lead for Hamilton’s COVID-19 assessment centres says recent changes to screening guidelines for children attending school should help reduce large lines that have plagued the system in recent weeks.
Dr. Tammy Packer says the centres have been under pressure testing more than 1,000 people per day up until now — with many of those being school kids.
The province’s changes mean young ones displaying just one COVID-19 symptom at school will be asked to go home for at least 24 hours and return only “when they feel well enough to do so.”
“Specifically, it states a negative COVID-19 test is not required to return to school. So that is the biggest difference,” said Packer.
“Kids that are relatively well, who simply have a runny nose or perhaps a sore throat or a little bit of fatigue can be treated the way that we always have in the past, which is a day or two home from school.”
Previous guidelines asked children with any symptom to stay home until they received a negative test result or were symptom-free for 24 hours.
Now children can return with one symptom after one day.
“Their parents only need to secure child care for a day or two, and then everybody can be back to work and back to school,” Packer said.
“We anticipate that we’ll have far fewer children coming in who are relatively well.”
With the Dave Andreychuk drive-thru testing centre closing this month to become a hockey arena once again, public health is set to announce a replacement location sometime during the weekend.
However, Packer says the ministry of health has put any further testing centres in Hamilton on hold.
The medical lead is hoping the convenience of something comparable to a drive-thru will replace the arena.
‘Let’s call it a nontraditional structure as opposed to a drive-thru,” said Packer. “Various plans being considered.”
Hamilton reports eleven new COVID-19 cases
Hamilton public health reported eleven new COVID-19 cases on Oct. 2. The city now has a total of 1,177 confirmed cases since the pandemic began.
Officials say 45 per cent (39) of the city’s 92 new coronavirus cases in the last 10 days have been among people under the age of 30.
Hamilton has 103 active cases as of Friday.
The city also has another outbreak – Koi Restaurant where two staff members who last worked on Tuesday, Sept. 20 have tested positive.
There are now three current outbreaks which include staff cases at 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 unresolved cases as of Oct. 2 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 6 new COVID-19 cases
Public Health Halton reported six new COVID-19 cases on Friday, including three new in Burlington.
The region has had 1,299 cases since the pandemic began. Public health says there are 153 active cases as of Oct. 2.
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 62.5 per cent (75) of its 120 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 31 unresolved cases as of Oct. 2 at the following locations:
Burlington – 8
- Gary Allan High School – 1 case
- Mohawk Gardens Public School – 1 case
- Nelson Secondary School – 2 cases
- Sir E. MacMillan Public School – 1 case
- St. Patrick Catholic Elementary School – 3 cases
Oakville – 14
- Abbey Park High School- 1 case
- Emily Carr Public School – 1 case
- Garth Webb Secondary School – 1 case
- Gary Allan High 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 – 6
- St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary School (Georgetown) – 5 cases
- St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School (Acton) – 1 case
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 11 new COVID-19 cases
Niagara public health reported eleven new COVID-19 cases on Friday.
The region has reported 1,093 cases since the pandemic began. The region has 105 active cases as of Oct. 2.
There are three current COVID-19 institutional outbreaks at Pioneer Elder Care in St. Catharines, Millennium Trail Manor in Niagara Falls and the latest reported on Friday at the Meadows of Dorchester retirement home also in Niagara Falls.
Since the pandemic began, 40.1 per cent (439) of the region’s 1,093 cases have occurred in people under the age of 39.
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Cases in Niagara-area schools and daycares
Public Health Ontario says Niagara schools have reported a combined 11 cases as of Oct. 2 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
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel 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 Friday. The region has an overall total of 491 lab-confirmed positive cases.
Officials say there are two active cases as of Oct. 2.
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 1 new COVID-19 case
Brant County’s health unit says it recorded one new COVID-19 case on Friday. The region has a total of 192 confirmed cases since the pandemic began.
There are 16 active cases as of Oct. 2.
Public health says 36.94 per cent (71) 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. 2 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. 2.
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