7 more COVID-19 outbreaks in Hamilton, including a hospital, school and daycare

Hamilton has declared seven new outbreaks, including a hospital, elementary school, child care centres, workplaces, and supportive housing.

The acute medicine F3 unit at Juravinski Hospital is experiencing an outbreak again with two cases. A previous outbreak within the F3 unit was declared as over at the beginning of April. It resulted in more than 50 people infected.

In a statement, Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) said its staff has "the skills and experience necessary to manage and contain these outbreaks."

"The pressure within Ontario and on HHS arising due to COVID-19 is escalating rapidly and is unlike anything we have experienced before," it said. "With an increase in community transmission we are seeing more transmissions in various settings – including acute care."

Outbreaks within hospitals, HHS said, are typically triggered through staff working in the pre-symptomatic phase before they have symptoms and test positive. They can also start through patients who present asymptomatic from a COVID-19 perspective and have negative results upon their admission (if tested), but develop the infection while in hospital. 

The other outbreaks are Mabuhay Lodge, St. Ann Catholic Elementary School in Ancaster, Stoney Creek Child Care Centre, Sunshine Daycare, and Zzone Homes Inc.

Hamilton reported 40 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. That's far below the latest-seven day average, which sits at 175 new cases a day.

A spokesperson for Hamilton Public Health Services (HPHS) confirmed that the case numbers reported today could be considered an "underestimation."

The health unit didn't provide a reason for the difference, but it comes on the same day the provincial government has said its vaccine totals will be lower due to a Rogers outage on Monday. 

"It's helpful to remember that case numbers are always subject to change, and fluctuations are normal with any data reporting," HPHS said in a statement, which noted it was "important to focus on the seven-day average and not on the day-to-day fluctuations."

Two more people have died, and both were in their 60s. There have been 348 people with COVID-19 who have died across the course of the pandemic.

The city has seen 15,557 total cases of the virus since the pandemic began, and 1,383 of those are active. Data shows 87.3 per cent of cases are resolved.

There are 43 active outbreaks. 

Six people have now died as linked to the outbreak at St. Peter's Hospital 3W, which has grown to 27 cases. The outbreak at Hamilton General Hospital in the 4W unit has also increased to 16 people. 

Four more workers have COVID-19 as linked to the outbreak at Aryzta/Oakrun Farm Bakery, located at 1770 Fiddlers Green Rd. Twenty-nine staff have contracted the virus.

The city's roads department has also increased to six staff. 

The outbreaks at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton — Charlton Campus CTU West and ArcelotMittal Dofasco's iron maintenance department have been declared as over. Both had two cases each.

The outbreaks at Michaels on Stone Church Road East and St. Leonard's Society have also ended. 

Brant

Brant reported 34 new cases on Tuesday. There are 281 active cases in the county, according to its online data.

There have been 2,394 cases total, of which 2,099 have been resolved.

Fourteen people have died, and 12 people are in hospital with the virus.

There have been 41,144 doses of the vaccine administered.

Haldimand-Norfolk

There are 277 active cases of COVID-19 in Haldimand and Norfolk. The counties have recorded 2,037 cases throughout the pandemic.

Forty deaths are considered COVID-related and 1,715 people have recovered. 

There have been 31,230 doses of the vaccine administered.

Halton

Another 148 people in Halton are known to have COVID-19 on Tuesday, for a total of 13,690 cases since the start of the pandemic. Overall, 206 people have died and 12,474 have recovered.

Of Halton's total cases, 2,478 have been a COVID-19 variant.

As for Burlington, 34 more people are known to have COVID-19, for a total of 243. Since last March, 3,324 people have tested positive for the virus (458 were variants), of which 3,030 have recovered and 51 have died.

Niagara

Niagara reported 144 new cases on April 20. There have been 384 people who died in the region. 

The region has seen 12,284 cases over the pandemic, including 1,849 cases that are active and 10,051 resolved. 

There have been 138,514 doses of the vaccine administered to Niagara residents.

Six Nations

Six Nations of the Grand River has recorded 12 active cases of COVID-19, which is three more than Monday. There have been 460 total cases and 438 are resolved. Ten people have died. 

There have been eight B117 cases, and five more cases that screened positive as a variant of concern require confirmation.

Six Nations is in alert level black of its colour-coded framework.