Recorded 51 COVID outbreaks in Hamilton

Hamilton has record 51 COVID Occurs as the virus continues to spread Elderly home, Hospitals and shelters.

Overall COVID number is Decrease Around the city and state, but Ontario’s chief health officer says, more restrictions must be followed to keep the rapidly expanding variants away.

“Seeing the numbers decline again, we need to go back and not be casual,” said Dr. David Williams.

City reported 75 New case Number of COVID-19s on Monday — Only once in the last 7 days, the number exceeds double digits. The record for the day of January 5th is 209.

The state fell below 2,000 in a single day for the first time since December 13.

“We continue to see these numbers steadily declining and we are seeing the impact of the Boxing Day blockade,” Williams said of a similar decline in most public health units in Ontario. It was.

“Now we have the further impact of a stay-at-home ban,” he said. “Some evidence can be seen 10, 12 or 13 days after it goes into effect.”

The weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 population has dropped to 97. It was 190 on January 5th, which is twice as much as 48.1 from November 1st to 7th, just before Hamilton entered the Red Zone. Hamilton was blocked on December 21st at the age of 116.

“We are moving in the right direction,” Williams said. However, “If a variant exists, you need to be more careful.”

He emphasized it Hospitalization There are more than 400 COVID patients in the Ontario Intensive Care Unit (ICU), which remains high in Ontario. Above 200 will put a strain on the system.

Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph had 121 COVID patients in the hospital on Monday. By comparison, less than 150 COVID patients were admitted to Hamilton in the first four months of the pandemic.

“We hope that as our numbers decrease, fewer people will be hospitalized,” Williams said. “The number of ICUs has not decreased significantly.”

Monday was the fourth consecutive day in Hamilton where no new COVID deaths were reported. The city reported daily deaths from 13 January to 22 January.

The reason for optimism is the decline in active cases in Ontario, a trend that is also seen in Hamilton. The city reported 731 active cases on Monday, with a high of 1,714 on January 5.

However, Hamilton still has 124 cases, as public health could not reach them after 14 days and could not confirm that they were no longer ill. They are assumed to have recovered, but are not included in the city’s 7,679 resolved cases, as they are not certain.

Williams says the numbers look “promising,” but warned that they were “early.”

“The numbers may be encouraging, but I … want to put them in a little salt,” he said. “You need to look at the trends and make sure you are there.”

A big concern is the B.1.1.7 variant (or UK variant). It spreads faster, easier, and can cause more serious illness.

“It may be more popular than we think,” Williams said. “At the same time, the timing of the blockade may have been a coincidence … and it may keep it away. Therefore, we don’t want to be casual and careless about opening too early. . “

He says that the fact that it isn’t growing exponentially gives “some relief” that the current restrictions are working, so Ontarions stay home, wear masks, and distance. Say you need to keep.

“The aggressive nature of the UK variants means that the reason for being cautious is that it can spread in violation of these protocols in a very short period of time and needs to be further strengthened,” Williams said. I will. “We will be vigilant. The same measures that protect you from other strains of COVID-19 will protect you from now on, but you must do it consistently.”

The outbreak is another source of concern about the 22 Hamilton Elderly Homes outbreak, including the new one declared January 24 at St. Peter’s Residence in the Chedoke Long-Term Care Facility in West Mountain.

Eleven hospital units, including the new hospital declared on January 25 at E2 of Durabinsky Hospital, have also occurred, with four patients positive. Also, the city’s hospital outbreaks do not include those in Ward C of West Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Grimsby, which is part of Hamilton Health Sciences.

There are also seven other collective living environments that occur in four shelters and are particularly vulnerable to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Three day care and four workplaces have occurred, including a new one that was declared infected by four staff at Haster Green House in Flamborough on January 24.