What you need to know about COVID-19 in Hamilton and Halton
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The information in this article was last updated at 3:15 p.m. on Nov. 21.
The number of cases
Hamilton has had 2,643 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 as of Nov. 20 at 3 p.m., which is 54 more than the day before.
Halton has had a total of 3,222 confirmed and probable cases as of Nov. 20 at 11:59 p.m., which is 34 more than the day before. Of the total cases, 805 are in Burlington, which is an increase of 16.
Six Nations has had 95 cases as of Nov. 19, which is no change since Nov. 11.
Haldimand and Norfolk have had a total of 609 cases as of Nov. 20, which is five more than the day before.
Ontario has had 102,378 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Nov. 20 at 4 p.m., with 1,588 new cases compared to the day before.
How many have recovered
In Hamilton, 84 per cent of those infected have recovered, with 2,222 cases resolved. There are 342 active cases.
In Halton, 81 per cent have recovered with 2,594 resolved cases and 578 active cases. In Burlington alone, 84 per cent have recovered with 672 resolved and 117 active cases.
In Six Nations, there is one active case as of Nov. 19. The rest have resolved.
In Haldimand and Norfolk, 88 per cent of people have been officially cleared of COVID-19, with recovered cases sitting at 535. There are 37 active cases.
Across Ontario, 84 per cent have recovered with 86,079 confirmed cases now resolved.
Cases by the numbers
Hamilton's reproduction rate is 0.85 as of Nov. 19. To be in the green, this number needs to be below 1.0. Cases exponentially increase over time when the number is over 1.0.
Halton's reproduction number is 1.04 as of Nov. 19 and Ontario's was 0.99 on Nov. 19
The number of tests coming back positive is 3.0 as of Nov. 13 in Hamilton, 4.4 per cent in Halton as of Nov. 14 and 4.1 per cent in Ontario as of Nov. 18. To be in the green, this number needs to be below 0.5.
The weekly incident rate per 100,000 is 43.7 in Hamilton from Nov. 9 to Nov. 15. Halton's was 58, Haldimand and Norfolk is 14 and Ontario is 68.1. To be in the green, it needs to be below 10.
There have been 199 people hospitalized in Hamilton with COVID-19 which is eight per cent of cases. Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) has 14 COVID-positive patients and St. Joe's has six.
Halton has 22 cases in its region's hospitals including eight in intensive care as of Nov. 20.
In Ontario, 513 people are in hospital, including 146 in intensive care and 87 on ventilators.
In Hamilton, 28 per cent of cases were acquired in the community - meaning public health does not know how they got sick - which adds up to 744 people.
In Halton, 22 per cent of cases are community acquired, which adds up to 711 people.
In Hamilton, roughly 12 per cent of cases have been in children aged 19 and under, 22 per cent have been among those aged 20 to 29, 27 per cent are in those aged 30 to 49, 24 per cent are among those aged 50 to 69 and 15 per cent have been in those aged 70 and over.
In Halton, roughly 17 per cent of cases are in children age 19 and under, 31 per cent are ages 20 to 39, 32 per cent are ages 40 to 59, 13 per cent are ages 60 to 79 and eight per cent are over the age of 80.
March 11 marked the first case of confirmed COVID-19 in Halton and Hamilton.
What schools and daycares have COVID cases?
Hamilton
Three students have tested positive at Ancaster High School and Bernie Custis Secondary School in east Hamilton.
Two students and one staff are infected at St. John Henry Newman Catholic Secondary School in Stoney Creek.
Two students are infected at Nora Frances Henderson Secondary School, Cathedral High School in east Hamilton, Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School in Ancaster, St. Jean de Brebeuf Catholic Secondary School on the east Mountain, St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Elementary School on the east Mountain, Helen Detwiler Elementary School on the central Mountain, Orchard Park Secondary School in Stoney Creek and Annunciation of Our Lord Catholic Elementary School on the west Mountain.
Two staff have tested positive at Shannen Koostachin Elementary School in Hannon.
Schools with one case in a student include: Waterdown District High School, Prince of Wales Elementary School, Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School in Hannon, Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary School in Ancaster, St. David Catholic Elementary School in east Hamilton, St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in west Hamilton, Eastdale Public School in Stoney Creek, Hess Street Elementary School downtown, Lake Avenue Elementary School in Stoney Creek, Queensdale Elementary Public School on the central Mountain, Ridgemount School on central Mountain, Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School on the west Mountain, Westmount Secondary School on the west Mountain and Ecole Secondaire Academie Catholique Mere-Teresa on the east Mountain.
Schools with one case in a staff member include: St. Francis Xavier Catholic Elementary School in Stoney Creek, Dundas Central Elementary School, Franklin Road Public School on the east Mountain and Janet Lee Public School in Stoney Creek.
St. Teresa of Calcutta Before and After School Program on the east Mountain has two infected students.
There have been 14 people at McMaster University who have tested positive for the virus - an employee with an external company and a student on Nov. 19, an employee on Nov. 18, an employee with an external company on Oct. 28, a graduate student on Aug. 31, an employee on Sept. 13, a student on Sept. 30, an employee on Oct. 5, a student on Oct. 6, a student employee on Oct. 14, a student on Oct. 18, an employee with an external company on Oct. 28, two Mohawk College students who take classes at McMaster on Nov. 7 and an employee on Nov. 18.
Mohawk College has reported five cases of the virus - a person associated" with their Stoney Creek campus on Sept. 25, a student at that same campus on Oct. 20, a student at their Fennell Avenue campus on Oct. 24 and two students associated with the Institute for Applied Health Sciences Campus on Nov. 7.
Burlington
Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School has two cases in students.
John T. Tuck Public School has one infected student.
Aldershot High School has one confirmed case.
Ashwood Glen School Inc and Parkview Children's Centre - The Orchard School and Village Child Care Centre each have one case in a staff member.
Brantford
Assumption College and St. John's College each have two students infected.
Wee Watch Enriched Home Child Care has one case in a child.
Haldimand and Norfolk
There is one case in Langton Public School in Norfolk's west end.
Delhi District Secondary School has one case in a student.
Across Ontario, there have been 3,710 school-related cases. Of those, 1,143 have been in the last 14 days. Currently, 680 schools, or 14 per cent of all schools that have had cases or have a reported case and three schools are closed.
There have been 648 confirmed cases in child-care centres and homes including 178 in the last 14 days. There are 121 centres, or just over two per cent of all centres/homes that have had cases, currently with a confirmed case and 16 are closed.
Where are the outbreaks?
There are 17 active outbreaks outside of schools and child care in Hamilton.
The largest ongoing outbreak is at Chartwell Willowgrove long-term-care home in Ancaster where 46 residents and 26 staff are infected for a total of 72 cases since it was declared Oct. 22.
An outbreak at St. Joseph's Villa in Dundas was declared Nov. 7. A total of 38 people - 22 residents and 16 staff - tested positive. The outbreak is in the Birch Unit-North Tower long-term-care home.
A second outbreak at St. Joseph's Villa was declared Nov. 20 after two staff members in the South Tower have tested positive.
The outbreak at Hamilton Continuing Care at 125 Wentworth St. S., declared Oct. 31, now has 25 residents and 13 staff infected, for a total of 39 cases at the long-term-care home.
Baywoods Place at 330 Main St. E. has 31 cases in its outbreak declared Nov. 1 including 18 residents of the long-term-care home and 13 staff.
The Village at Wentworth Heights at 1620 Upper Wentworth St. had an outbreak declared on Nov. 3 that has seen 14 residents and three staff test positive for a total of 17.
Idlewyld Manor at 449 Sanatorium Rd. has nine residents and five staff infected for a total of 14 cases in an outbreak declared at the long-term-care home Nov. 6.
St. Joseph's Healthcare had an outbreak, declared Nov. 16, with seven staff testing positive at its Charlton campus on CTU Central, which is a general internal medicine unit.
An outbreak was declared at Aberdeen Gardens Retirement Residence at 330 Dundurn St. S. on Nov. 6 that has seen three residents and one staff member test positive for a total of four cases at the retirement home.
An outbreak was declared Nov. 19 after four staff at Advanced Motor Solutions at 15 Imperial St. tested positive.
Two staff are infected staff at Amica Dundas at 50 Hatt St. in an outbreak declared on Nov. 4
Cardinal Retirement Residence at 10 Herkimer St has one case in a resident and one in a staff member in its outbreak declared Nov. 12.
Three is one infected resident at Good Shepherd Women's Services in an outbreak declared on Nov. 11.
Outbreaks have been declared after one staff member tested positive at First Place Hamilton seniors' home at 360 King St. E. and at St. Peter's Residence at Chedoke on the west Mountain.
An outbreak was declared at Hamilton Police Services' Central Station on Nov. 20 after two staff members in the records department tested positive.
Halton has 11 active outbreaks including four in Burlington.
An outbreak was declared Oct. 3 at the Village of Tansley Woods in the Burlington retirement home where 35 residents and 12 staff have been infected for a total of 47. Seven residents have died at the home at 4100 Upper Middle Rd.
Joseph Brant Hospital is in outbreak after three health-care workers and one patient tested positive for the virus on 7 South 100 (7S100) unit.
The Williamsburg retirement home at 1893 Appleby Line had an outbreak declared Nov. 14 after a staff member tested positive.
An outbreak has also been declared Nov. 15 at Creek Way Village long-term-care home at 5200 Corporate Dr.
Haldimand and Norfolk has declared an outbreak at Grandview Lodge long-term-care home in Dunnville after four staff and four residents tested positive.
A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at Schuyler Farms in Simcoe with 13 positive cases among the migrant worker population as of Nov. 16.
Across Ontario, there are currently outbreaks in 99 long-term-care homes.
How many have died?
Hamilton has had 74 deaths which is three per cent of cases.
Those who have died have been between the ages of 48 and over 100. All but nine people were age 70 or over with the majority being age 80 or over.
Sixteen died in Hamilton's deadliest outbreak at the Rosslyn Retirement Residence on King Street East.
Fifteen from the community died unrelated to any outbreaks.
Fourteen people have died in the outbreak at Chartwell Willowgrove long-term-care home in Ancaster.
Nine died in the outbreak at Cardinal Retirement Residence on Herkimer Street.
Five died in the outbreak at Hamilton Continuing Care long-term-care home at 125 Wentworth St. S.
Four died in the outbreak at Heritage Green Nursing Home in Stoney Creek.
Three deaths were residents of Dundurn Place Care Centre on Mary Street in two separate outbreaks.
Two have died in an outbreak at The Village of Wentworth Heights long-term-care-home at 1620 Upper Wentworth St.
Two died at Emmanuel House Hospice.
One senior died in an outbreak at St. Peter's Hospital.
Two seniors have died in an outbreak at Baywoods Place at 330 Main St. E.
And one died at St. Joseph's Villa in Dundas.
In Halton, 50 people have died, including 16 in Burlington.
Haldimand and Norfolk has had 32 deaths. Five more people who had COVID-19 died but their death is not considered to be related to the virus. Other area public health units count all people infected who die to be a COVID-19 death regardless of whether it's related.
Six Nations has had one death.
Provincewide, there have been 3,472 deaths, including 2,206 long-term-care residents and eight staff.
What to do if you have symptoms or have been exposed?
Symptoms for COVID-19 include any combination of the following: difficulty breathing, fever, cough, muscle aches, runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, headache, hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and a loss of sense of smell and taste.
For seniors symptoms can also include chills, falls, delirium, acute functional decline, decreased blood pressure or increased heart rate.
The province changed who can get tested Sept. 24 and appointments are now limited to those showing COVID-19 symptoms; exposed to a confirmed case of the virus; who live or work in a setting that has a COVID-19 outbreak or are part of a targeted testing initiative directed by the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Long-Term Care.
Assessment and testing centres are open by appointment only at the West End Clinic and the King Campus urgent care centres. A new site at Mohawk College on 135 Fennell Ave. W. opened Oct. 23 to replace the Dave Andreychuk Mountain Arena and St. Joseph's West 5th campus sites.
People without symptoms who are also part of a provincial testing directive - meaning not everyone without symptoms can get tested at pharmacies. Area pharmacies include Hauser's Pharmacy at 1010 Upper Wentworth St, Shoppers Drug Mart at 101 Osler Dr. in Dundas and 2110 Rymal Rd. E. in Hannon and The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy in Caledonia.
To complete a self-assessment, visit ontario.ca/coronavirus. To book a test contact public health at 905-974-9848 or www.HamiltonCovidTest.ca. You can also find answers to questions at phscovid19@hamilton.ca or hamilton.ca/coronavirus.
Hamilton virtual town hall
The city will hold a virtual town hall on COVID-19 Thursday, Nov. 26, at 7 p.m. on Cable 14 and the city's YouTube channel youtube.com/user/InsideCityofHamilton. To submit questions, tag @CityofHamilton on Twitter, email communications@hamilton.ca or call 905-645-3232.
Guidance, bylaws and laws
Hamilton and Halton are moving into red on the province's COVID alert system Nov. 16. The province is asking red zoners to stay home, only going out for essential reasons. School, work, grocery shopping, exercise and medical appointments are considered essential reasons. People are asked to work from home if possible.
Those in red are asked to restrict gatherings to only members of their own household. If other people are in your home - to fix a pipe or do other repairs - wear a mask. If you're out in public places, or outdoors with other people, wear a mask.
If you live alone you are allowed to be physically close and mask free with one other household.
Gatherings are restricted to 10 indoors and 25 outdoors. You must remain physically distant - staying two metres apart - and ideally wearing masks at all times. If you exceed these limits, the organizer of a gathering/event may face a $10,000 fine and guests may each face a $750 fine.
Religious services, weddings and funerals may have 30 per cent of building capacity indoors and 100 people outdoors.
Strip clubs and cinemas are closed. Drive-in cinemas can remain open. Performance art facilities are closed to spectators. Drive-in performances are permitted.
Restaurants, bars and event spaces must close at 10 p.m. and liquor can only be served between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Restaurants are limited to 10 people indoors and only four people can sit together. Buffets, dancing, singing and the live performance of brass or wind instruments are prohibited. Screening is required as well as contact information.
Sports and recreation facilities can have a maximum of 50 people with some exceptions and are limited to 10 per room. Gyms and fitness studios can have 10 indoors and 25 outdoors. Only training is permitted for team sports - no games, scrimmages or contact. Spectators are not allowed. Fitness classes and weights must have 3 metres of space between participants.
Personal care services have to close oxygen bars, steam rooms, saunas, whirlpools, bath houses, hot tubs, floating pools, sensory deprivation pods, change rooms and showers. Services requiring removal of face coverings prohibited.
Table games are prohibited at casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments.
Hamilton city council has passed a physical-distancing bylaw that requires people to stay two metres away from anyone who is not a member of their household. Fines start at $500. Corporations in Hamilton face penalties of $50,000 to $100,000.
Hamilton has a mandatory mask bylaw in place. Children under the age of two, those living with underlying health conditions that prevent them from wearing a mask and those unable to put on or take off a mask without assistance will be exempt. Those who do not abide by the bylaw can face a $200 fine.
Transit changes
HSR riders are required to wear non-medical masks. There are exceptions for children age two and under, those with breathing issues and anyone who cannot remove the mask themselves.
HSR has returned to a weekday service at summer level on most routes with the equivalent of a 100 per cent seated capacity. For a 40-foot bus, this would mean 30 riders sitting and standing. For a 60-foot articulated bus, it would be 50 riders. The seats closest to the operator will remain blocked off in many cases and the yellow lines will remain.
HSR has resumed fare collection and front-door boarding. Bio-shields have been installed in driver compartments to protect operators and customers.
The 36 Hunter St. GO station customer service counter is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. But the Mountain Transit Centre customer service desk at 2200 Upper James St. is closed until further notice.
Joanna Frketich is a Hamilton-based reporter covering health for the Spectator. Reach her via email: jfrketich@thespec.com
Katrina Clarke is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: katrinaclarke@thespec.com