After reporting just a pair of COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, Hamilton Public Health revealed 65 new positive tests on Wednesday and four new outbreaks across the city.
The city’s medical officer of health says the large variance over the two days was due to “challenges with the data.”
“But if you level those two out, we’re sitting at roughly that sort of high-30s cases per day,” Dr. Elizabeth Richardson said during an update with city councillors.
Health officials say there have been 256 positive coronavirus cases in Hamilton since Oct. 25 for an average of between 25 and 26 cases per day.
Wednesday’s case numbers represent the highest one day total for the city since the pandemic began.
Eighty-four (33 per cent) of the new cases are with people under the age of 30. Forty per cent (102) were acquired through close contact.
Richardson says recent numbers amid the second wave of the pandemic has put Hamilton into the “yellow zone” of the province’s COVID-19 response framework, revealed by the Ford government on Tuesday.
The city’s current placement is due to the number of outbreaks in the community over the past month.
“Most of them are small, with the exception of the one at the Willowgrove retirement community. Unfortunately, we continue to see them,” Richardson said.
Public health says the latest outbreaks involve two daycares, a homeless shelter, and another long-term care home.
The daycares account for five cases with three employees at La Garderie Le Petit Navire Daycare on Cumberland Avenue, and two patrons at the Echo Day program.
The other two outbreaks involve a resident with the Village at Wentworth Heights and a staff member at Good Shepherd Men’s Centre downtown.
Hamilton has 14 active outbreaks in the community involving 72 people as of Wednesday at:
- five long-term care homes, including Baywood Place, Chartwell Willowgrove, Hamilton Continuing Care, Shalom Village and The Village at Wentworth Heights
- two daycares (La Garderie Le Petit Navire, Echo Day Program)
- one homeless shelter (Good Shepherd Men’s Centre)
- one heavy equipment company (SkyLift Rentals)
- one government organization (Service Ontario – 50 Dundurn St.)
- one restaurant (Castelli Cucina)
- one retailer (Lululemon Athletica – Limeridge Mall)
- one retirement home (Villa Italia)
- one school (St. Marguerite d’Youville Catholic Elementary)
The outbreak at Chartwell Willowgrove grew by four more cases on Nov. 4. There are now 46 total cases involving 26 residents and 20 staff.
Hamilton has 173 active cases with four people in hospital with COVID-19.
Since the pandemic began Hamilton has had 48 virus-related deaths.
Halton Region reports 67 new COVID-19 cases
A day after reporting no new data due to maintenance on its reporting dashboard, Halton Region says it has 67 new coronavirus cases over the last two days.
The region has 283 active cases as of Wednesday, with Oakville accounting for 131 and Burlington accounting for 53 cases.
Public health has declared another outbreak at Post Inn Village in Oakville. The facility has been the subject of two outbreaks during the pandemic in April and more recently in October. No details were released on the nature of the outbreak.
Halton has 12 outbreaks with seven at institutions involving 116 people at four long-term care homes (Chartwell Waterford, Post Inn Village, and Wyndham Manor in Oakville, as well as Chartwell Brant Centre in Burlington) and three retirement homes (Village of Tansley Woods in Burlington, Traflager Lodge in Oakville, and Amica Georgetown).
The outbreak at Chartwell Waterford grew by three more cases on Wednesday for a total of 47 tied to 38 residents, seven staff members and two others connected with the home. The facility has recorded three deaths since the outbreak began on Oct. 13.
Tansley Woods has 45 total cases involving 34 residents, 10 staff and one other person. The facility has had seven deaths since the outbreak began on Oct. 13.
Halton has 2,322 total COVID-19 cases and 36 coronavirus related deaths since the pandemic began.
Niagara Region reports 20 new COVID-19 cases
Niagara public health reported 20 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday putting the region’s total number of cases to 1,540 since the pandemic began.
There are currently 199 active cases as of Nov. 4 and 74 virus-related deaths since March.
There are six outbreaks connected with the coronavirus at two retirement homes (The Meadows of Dorchester and River Road Retirement in Niagara Falls) and four long-term care homes (Millennium Trail Manor in Niagara Falls, Albright Manor in Lincoln, West Park Health Centre and Gilmore Lodge in Fort Erie).
Niagara Health hospital is reporting that the outbreak at Millennium Trail Manor in Niagara Falls involves 29 positive cases among 15 residents and 14 staff. Three resident deaths have been connected with the outbreak which began on Sept. 29.
Four hundred and eight (26.5 per cent) of the area’s COVID-19 cases have been connected with long-term care or retirement homes in the region.
Since the pandemic was declared, 45.1 per cent (695) of the region’s 1,540 cases have occurred in people under the age of 39.
Haldimand-Norfolk reports five new COVID-19 cases
The Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit (HNHU) reported five more COVID-19 cases to put the region total since the pandemic began to 552 lab-confirmed positive cases.
Officials say there are 26 active cases as of Nov. 4.
Public health says 34.8 per cent (192) of all cases in the region involve people between the ages of 20 and 39.
The region has one current non-institutional outbreak at Stelco’s Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke. Public health says the outbreak involves two employees at the steel manufacturers’ pickle lines.
Haldimand-Norfolk has had 32 COVID-19-connected deaths with 27 tied to residents at Anson Place Care Centre, a nursing home in Hagersville.
Brant County reports 12 new COVID-19 cases
Brant County’s health unit reported twelve new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. The region has 305 confirmed cases since the pandemic began.
There are 66 active cases as of Nov. 4 with four people receiving hospital care.
Brant County now has three outbreaks at two retirement homes (Riverview Terrace in Brantford and Brucefield Manor in Mount Pleasant) and Salon Mirage at Lynden Park Mall in Brantford.
The outbreak at Riverview Terrace Retirement Home involves 13 people, with three staff and 10 residents testing positive for COVID-19.
Brucefield Manor has just one case, however public health is waiting for additional tests from staff and residents to be processed.
No customers have tested positive in the outbreak at Salon Mirage. All five cases involve staff and others associated with the workers. Customers with concerns are encouraged to contact public health to arrange for an assessment and testing.
Public health says 34.10 per cent (104) of all cases in the county involve people between the ages of 20 and 39.
The region has had five deaths tied to COVID-19.
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