Hamilton police broke up only one pandemic party on New Year’s Eve

Police only broke up one pandemic party in Hamilton to ring in the new year.

Staff Sgt. Catherine Lockley said police responded to reports of a disturbance on Primrose Avenue in the central lower city late Thursday and discovered an obvious" house party amid Hamilton's second COVID lockdown.

There were 19 people in the home and 16 of them did not live there," she said. It was quite evident there was a party going on."

Lockley said a few" of the New Year's Eve partygoers were charged under the Reopening Ontario Act for illegally gathering indoors during Ontario's second, more severe wave of COVID-19.

It was unclear Friday exactly how many and which charges were laid. Attending an illegal pandemic gathering can result in a $880 ticket - but in theory, party organizers could face a $10,000 fine.

Hamilton entered a second lockdown Dec. 18 as the weekly rate of new COVID cases per 100,000 population jumped past 116. That infection rate has since grown to 129 as of New Year's Eve, with active cases listed at a record 1,386 and nearly 30 ongoing outbreaks.

As of Thursday, 168 people with COVID-19 had died in the city.

During the lockdown, only members of the same household are allowed to gather together indoors, although individuals living alone are allowed to have exclusive close contact with another household.

Police did not report having to shut down any other New Year's Eve parties, but they did respond to a homemade fireworks display gone wrong in the east end.

In that case, used fireworks ended up in the trash, causing a short-lived fire that was quickly extinguished.

The Spectator was unable to reach the city to find out if bylaw officers cracked down on any New Year's Eve partygoers or illegally open bars.

Bylaw enforcement earlier in December resulted in charges related to three pandemic house parties.

The city's pandemic emergency operations head, Paul Johnson, previously urged citizens to resist looking for loopholes" in holiday lockdown rules to try to meet up with family or friends.

The parties, the invitations of family, are over," he said just before Christmas.

I think it's time for our community to embrace the challenge and do what's right in order to make sure that we limit the amount of spread of this virus."

Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com