Treasure hunters, house partiers among those fined by bylaw officers during COVID-19

Partiers, golfers and even a pair of treasure hunters are among the more than 100 people Hamilton bylaw officers have ticketed so far during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ken Leendertse, director of licensing and bylaw for the city, took part in a virtual town hall event Wednesday evening and provided a rundown of the fines Hamiltonians could face if they don't respect physical distancing rules.

Fifteen people have been charged for gathering in a group of more than five, seven businesses have been forced to pay up and 63 tickets have been written up for people using parks and other city amenities that are closed to stop the spread of the virus.

Others have faced added costs after refusing to provide their ID to bylaw officers.

"We went to a couple of house parties last weekend and they were not that cooperative so they ended up getting an additional $1,000 fine," said Leendertse.

Albion Falls is among the hot spots for violations, along with the area's other waterfalls, the H.A.A.A Grounds and Devil's Punchbowl.

"We've also found a lot of activity down at Battlefield Park," said Leendertse. "People having picnics, people using all the equipment."

Among the most surprising offences that ended in a ticket was a couple at Chedoke Civic Golf Club who were "treasure hunting on the fairway with metal detectors," he added.

The number of resolved COVID-19 cases in Hamilton continued to grow, Wednesday hitting 247 — nearly 60 per cent of cases recorded in the city so far.

Numbers released by public health show a total of 425 cases, of which 420 are confirmed and five considered probable.

Nineteen people have died of the virus, while 58 per cent of cases are resolved as of 9 a.m.

There are currently 14 outbreaks in Hamilton, 10 of which are at institutions and four in the community.

Seventeen COVID-19 patients are being cared for at Hamilton Health Sciences and another 12 at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton.

Community gardens to reopen

As signs the virus may be abating continue Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, the city's medical officer of health, acknowledged people are starting to ask about when things will be back to normal.

However, "it unfortunately is not going to be business as usual in most cases," she warned. 

People should expect steps such as physical distancing, hand-washing and protective equipment being worn at businesses to go on for some time, the doctor cautioned.

One bright note residents can look forward to is the reopening of community gardens.

"Our goal is in the next two days to have the guidelines out so people can get ready for this weekend," said Paul Johnson, director of Hamilton's emergency operations centre.

Here's a look at the status of COVID-19 in surrounding communities Wednesday.

Haldimand-Norfolk

Two more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Haldimand and Norfolk counties, bringing the total there to 190. Thirty people there have died.

However, eight more people have recovered from the virus, bringing that number to 44 so far.

Niagara

A health-care worker at Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre has tested positive for COVID-19, a first for the St. Catharines hospital.

"Our utmost priority is the safety of our patients, our community and each other," stated interim CEO Lynne Pay in a statement. "Further to consultation with Niagara Public Health, the unit will continue to accept patients and, as is the case throughout HDS, a number of enhanced safety measures have already been in place."

Administrators say they've consulted public health and determined the case isn't considered an outbreak because the staff member in question has not been at work for a "considerable period" before being diagnosed and wasn't working while exhibiting symptoms.

The worker is currently at home in self-isolation.

A total of 478 cases of COVID-19, including 192 that are active and 242 considered resolved, were tallied in the region Wednesday. Forty-four people have died of the virus.

Brant

The Brant County Health Unit recorded 93 confirmed cases Wednesday, 63 of which are resolved.

Forty per cent of those cases are male, with females making up the remaining 60 per cent.

People between the ages of 40-59 make up the largest portion of cases, at nearly 39 per cent, while those from 20-39 represent just over 31 per cent.

Four people are in the county are currently hospitalized and three people have died.

Two outbreaks are still ongoing in Brant. One resident has tested positive at Telfer Place Long-Term Care Home in Paris and two staff members at ​St. Joseph's Lifecare Centre — the second outbreak at the Brantford facility.

Halton

Halton tallied 22 more recoveries Wednesday, bringing that total to 301.

There were 508 cases in the region as of 12:50 p.m., 448 of which were confirmed and 60 probable. Twenty-two people have died of the virus.

Seven of those deaths were in Burlington, which has a total of 106 cases and has seen 58 recoveries.

Outbreaks are ongoing at The Village of Tansley Woods retirement home and Joseph Brant Hospital where the health unit says four patients have tested positive and one person has died.