COVID-19 outbreak declared at Joseph Brant Hospital after workers, patient test positive

A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington after three health-care workers and one patient tested positive.

The cases are linked to a medicine inpatient unit on 7 South 100 (7S100), according to the hospital.

Staff from the infection prevention and control team and employee services are working with public health to monitor patients, staff and physicians who had direct contact with the people who are infected, Joseph Brant Hospital added in a media release.

Every patient on the unit, as well as staff and physicians, are being tested.

"The affected health care workers are currently in isolation at home, and will not return to work until they have completed the self-isolation period and are asymptomatic," reads the release.

"Tests will be immediately ordered for patients should they develop COVID-19 symptoms."

The hospital said it's taking additional steps to keep staff, patients and families safe until the outbreak is declared over, including enhanced daily cleaning and closing the unit to visitors with limited exceptions.

Hamilton sees 50 more cases Thursday

There are 342 active cases of COVID-19 in Hamilton.

The city has seen 2,553 cases (confirmed and probable) since the pandemic began as of Thursday, which is 50 more than the day before.

Of those, 2,135 are recovered and 193 (eight per cent) have been hospitalized.

Seventy-two people with COVID-19 have died.

Seventeen outbreaks are ongoing, including at Chartwell Willowgrove Long Term Care in Ancaster where 69 people have been infected.

Large outbreaks are also active at Hamilton Continuing Care and St. Joseph's Villa, which both have 38 cases, and and Baywoods Place where there are 30.

Police employee tests positive

Hamilton police say a civilian employee who works at the central station on King William Street has COVID-19.

The worker, who the service says does not work directly with the public, was last at work on Nov. 4.

Police say the employee was not symptomatic while at the station and that they're currently home recovering.

Case at Fortinos on Dundurn

A staff member at the Fortinos on Dundurn Street South in Hamilton has tested positive for COVID-19.

Loblaw posted online about the infected employee on Thursday, saying the employee last worked on Nov. 13.

"In these cases, we work closely with public health and follow their guidance to ensure proper notification of close contacts and required cleaning and sanitization in our stores," reads the notice.

Here's a look at the COVID-19 situation in the surrounding area:

Niagara

Niagara has reported 1,904 cases of COVID-19 throughout the pandemic.

Data on the region's website Wednesday showed 1,646 people have recovered while 177 are currently known to have the virus.

Eighty-one people have died and 16 outbreaks are ongoing.

Halton

The case count in Halton grew by 39 Wednesday for a total of 3,131.

Sixteen of those new cases were in Burlington, which has seen 783 since the pandemic began.

Statistics for the region show 564 cases are active and 2,520 resolved. 

Forty-seven people with the virus have died.

Haldimand-Norfolk

Two more cases of COVID-19 were reported in Haldimand and Norfolk Wednesday.

The counties have tallied 603 positive cases so far, including 529 that are recovered and 37 that are active.

Thirty-two deaths are considered COVID-realted.

Brant

There are 50 active cases in Brant.

The county has recorded 397 confirmed cases as of Wednesday.

Of those, 342 are resolved and one person remains in hospital.

Five people have died.