Hamilton’s active COVID cases soar; nearly one in 10 tests coming back positive
Nearly one in 10 COVID tests is coming back positive in Hamilton as Ontario's premier calls on the federal government to close Canada's borders to all non-essential travel.
Without further action we risk prolonging the third wave, or creating the conditions for a fourth one," Premier Doug Ford said in a statement Saturday. We won't put this pandemic behind us if we can't get ahead of the these deadly variants cropping up around the world. I'm pleading with the federal government to close the border before new variants push us into more lockdowns and another crisis."
The number of COVID tests coming back positive in Hamilton is 9.3 per cent which is a new high by far. The key metric has set records for four days straight now, hitting 7.9 per cent Friday. It compares to 5.6 per cent reported April 18. The highest it reached during the second wave was around 6 per cent over a span of days from Jan. 8 to 14.
Active cases also set a record in Hamilton for the third day in a row on Saturday, hitting 1,988. The surging metric was 1,905 on Friday and 1,783 on Thursday. The previous record of 1,714 active cases was set during the height of the second wave.
The city reported 143 new cases Saturday although a more reliable metric is the seven-day rolling average which is 168 daily new infections.
Hamilton has had one more COVID death in a senior age 80 or over. Of Hamilton's 351 pandemic deaths, more than two-thirds have been in this age group.
Hamilton's hospitals were caring for 138 COVID patients Saturday. Of the 97 COVID patients at Hamilton Health Sciences, 40 are in the intensive care unit. ICU numbers for St. Josephs' were not available Saturday.
Ontario Hospital Association CEO Anthony Dale warned Saturday that Ontario's ICUs have had 67 new admissions and there are now 827 critically ill COVID patients.
Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table had forecast there would be roughly 800 COVID patients in ICUs by this week which had been described at the beginning of April as a place where we are not able to provide all the care as well as we want,"
That is a place where clinicians need to make hard decisions that you'd never want them to have to make" Adalsteinn (Steini) Brown, dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto said April 1. Where you will see loss of life and the sort of challenges we've seen in northern Italy, that we've seen in New York."
Ontario's hospitals have been trying to share the load with 88 patients from the Greater Toronto Area transferred in nine days alone to area hospitals including 48 to Hamilton as of Thursday.
Right now our ICU capacity is stretched to its limits by the UK variant that got through our borders late last year," said Ford.
Around three-quarters of Hamilton's new COVID cases in April were variants, which spread faster and cause more severe illness especially to younger people.
Hamilton has 2,069 cases of B.1.1.7, which was first identified in the United Kingdom. There have also been two confirmed cases of P. 1, which originated in Brazil, and one of B. 1.351, first found in South Africa. There are also 966 more presumed cases which is an increase of 402 variant cases overall.
Ford expressed concern about the extremely troubling news" that 36 cases of the B. 1.617 variant, first identified in India, have been detected in Ontario.
The images we are seeing from other parts of the world right now are heartbreaking," said Ford. These deadly new variants are causing devastation in India and other countries. We can't let that happen here."
Canada closed its borders to direct flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days as of 11:30 p.m. Thursday. But Ford says those closures came far too late and don't do nearly enough to protect Canadians."
Around 80 per cent of Hamilton's 44 outbreaks are connected to variants with the vast majority being B.1.1.7.
Case numbers went up in multiple active outbreaks Saturday including at National Steel Car which voluntarily temporarily suspended its manufacturing operations Friday for two weeks. There have now been 18 workers infected since April 21 at the freight and tank car manufacturer at 600 Kenilworth Ave. N.
An outbreak at Blessings Christian Church in west Hamilton jumped to 10 cases in parishioners Saturday from six on Friday.
Laurier Place also saw four new cases with the outbreak at the supportive housing on the west Mountain up to seven cases.
Two new outbreaks were declared Friday on the west Mountain including Woodview Mental Health and Autism Services where one staff and one client are infected and at supportive housing Harbour Home where one staff member has tested positive.
Another outbreak was declared Thursday at ArcelorMittal Dofasco after three workers tested positive in the tin mill.
There are two other ongoing Dofasco outbreaks at #1 MRA where 11 staff are infected and on the tube slitter line where three workers have tested positive.
A fourth outbreak at Dofasco's 2CPCM roll shop where three workers were infected was declared over Saturday.
A deadly outbreak at St. Peter's Hospital with 24 cases - 16 patients, six staff and two visitors - and six deaths was also declared over Saturday.
One of four outbreaks at supportive housing run by Kelly's Residence ended Friday. It was the largest of the outbreaks and was located in a home on Main Street East where 19 had been infected - 13 residents and six staff.
Other outbreaks declared over Friday include Ancaster Little Gems Children's Centre, Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Elementary School and supportive housing Eaglewood Place.
Outbreaks declared over Thursday include Grandview Animal Hospital, Harvey's on Queenston Road and the Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton at Strathcona Elementary School.
Just over one-third of Hamilton's active outbreaks are in workplaces. Nearly 80 per cent of Hamilton's ongoing outbreaks involve staff.
The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario called Saturday for the province to provide 10 paid COVID sicks days.
Ford announced a provincial paid sick leave program Thursday but so far has provided no details except that it will bridge gaps in the federal Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit that pays $450 a week after taxes for up to four weeks.
Joanna Frketich is a Hamilton-based reporter covering health for The Spectator. Reach her via email: jfrketich@thespec.com