A major COVID-19 outbreak within a 17-storey residential tower in downtown Hamilton is highlighting unique challenges in those settings.
The outbreak at Rebecca Towers is blamed on “socialization” among residents, but medical officer of health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson said that has often meant residents buying groceries for neighbours or providing companionship to those who live alone.
Richardson stressed, in an update to city councillors on Wednesday, that those supports are “absolutely critical” during the pandemic, but also highlight the need to follow public health recommendations.
“If you’re checking on a neighbour to make sure that they’re OK and spend 20 minutes with them because they’re all alone,” said Richardson, “you need to wear a mask, stand outside the door.”
“There is not any sort of other systematic issue” in terms of what was found on inspection, added Richardson. “The building was well looked after from the standpoint of maintenance.”
Ward 2 Coun. Jason Farr said the high-rise “has very narrow halls, it has a narrow foyer, small elevators, how do you not be social when you have those conditions?”
In her presentation to Hamilton’s general issues committee, Richardson also noted that the Rebecca Towers outbreak is the city’s only COVID-19 outbreak within a residential tower.
“The address was coming up repeatedly and our case managers began to notice that,” said Richardson. “There may well be others that have had small outbreaks that we just couldn’t detect with our systems.”
As of Wednesday morning, Hamilton Public Health had confirmed 67 cases of COVID-19 in the 164-unit building at 235 Rebecca St. One death has also been linked to the virus involving that location.
Comments