Hamilton reports new COVID-19 death for second day in a row

Hamilton reported 48 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and another virus-related death for the second day in a row.

Public health says the death is a person in their 70s. The city has now had 297 deaths tied to COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

The city added another outbreak on Wednesday at the Hamilton Fitness Academy on Upper Wentworth Street. The facility has three cases among two staffers and a patron.

Two outbreaks at pair of public elementary schools were deemed ended at St. Michael Catholic and Cathy Wever. St. Michael had four cases among students with Cathy Wever having one student and one staff case. Both outbreaks lasted 14 days.

There are 30 ongoing coronavirus outbreaks in the city involving more than 300 cases including 82 cases at seven shelters and 85 cases at five hospitals.

The largest of the hospital outbreaks is at the Juravinski’s F3 acute medicine unit which had a spike of 14 cases day over day to check-in at 40 total cases as of March 17.

The city’s two hospitals have a combined 104 patients being treated for COVID-19, 87 at Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) facilities and 17 at St. Joe’s.

Active cases dropped by 20 day over day to 527.

Public health says 41 per cent (255) of the city’s 623 new cases in the last 10 days involve people under the age of 29.

As of Tuesday, the city’s weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 population is now at 78, with 2.9 per cent of all COVID-19 tests reported to public health producing a positive result in the last seven days.

Hamilton has administered more than 60,000 COVID-19 vaccines as of Wednesday. More than 15,000 doses have been given out by mobile teams while around 45,000 have been delivered through fixed clinics.

Halton Region reported 42 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday with a slight drop in active cases day over day.

Active cases dropped to 267 on March 17 from the 272 recorded on Tuesday.

Public health says there are now 261 possible variant cases adding just four new cases to the list on March 17.

The region has had 10,155 total coronavirus cases since the pandemic began.

Halton has 15 active outbreaks as of Wednesday but only three tied to health facilities in Oakville and Halton Hills. The outbreaks, at a retirement home and LTCH in Oakville plus the Georgetown hospital, account for a combined 32 coronavirus cases.

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The hospital has had five virus-related deaths since the surge which began on Feb. 13.

Public health had administered 40,922 COVID-19 vaccines as of Thursday. Close to 11,000 doses have been given out by mobile teams, while at least 28,000 were administered at fixed clinics and about 1,200 at community sites as of March 11.

Halton’s medical officer of health Dr. Hamidah Meghani revealed on Monday the region is following the province’s mandate of extending the period between the first and second doses of vaccines as per a recommendation from Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI).

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The committee says recent studies support evidence that a longer period between shots can boost antibodies to a higher level for many of the current vaccines.

“Delaying second doses to four months allows more people to receive the protection of first doses earlier, increasing our community level protection,” Meghani said.

“This will bring us all closer to a post-pandemic world.”

The province told Global News in a March 3 statement that the move would also allow Ontario to use remaining vaccine supplies to get shots “into more arms as quickly as possible.”

Niagara public health reported 48 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday with active cases up again day over day.

For 13 days in a row, active cases have gone up in Niagara. The region has 305 total active cases, with St. Catharines and Niagara Falls having the most at 61 and 58 cases respectively.

The region has had 9,052 total coronavirus cases and 373 deaths since the pandemic began.

Niagara’s seven-day average number of new cases average per 100,000 dropped for a second day in a row from 44.45 on Tuesday to 38.40 as of March 17.

Public health says there are 24 active outbreaks with three at health facilities, a pair of retirement homes and a long-term care home.

The region added just a single new variant case on Wednesday and has 119 total variant cases. Four of the cases have been identified as the B.1.1.7 variant. There are no confirmed cases for any of the other subtypes of the coronavirus.

Public health has administered close to 14,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Niagara as of March 17.

Haldimand Norfolk reported three new coronavirus cases on Wednesday with an increase in active cases to 51 (up by two).

Both counties have accounted for 1,516 total COVID-19 cases amid the pandemic and 39 deaths.

There are no outbreaks involving health facilities as of March 17.

More than 14,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in both counties combined as of Monday, with more than 1,600 people having completed their required two shots.

A provincial order has put some COVID-19 vaccinations in Haldimand Norfolk on hold for up to four months.

The Brant County Health Unit reported eight new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday with active cases were down by eight day over day to 89 as of March 17.

Public health is now managing five active outbreaks in the community: at a nursing home, three schools and one workplace.

An outbreak at Ryerson Heights Elementary in Brantford has temporarily closed the school to students due to a high-risk of close contacts identified by the health unit.

Public health declared the outbreak on Sunday. The surge involves two students and a staff member.

The county has had 1,643 coronavirus cases and 12 virus-related deaths since the pandemic began last year.

The region added just one more variant case on Wednesday. The county now has 30 variant cases with none having their lineage classified.

Public health says close to 17,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Brant County with more than 2,500 people having completed their vaccinations as of March 17.