Confirmed cases of fast-spreading P.1 variant in Hamilton more than quadruple since Thursday
Hamilton has seen the number of cases tied to a worrisome COVID-19 variant first identified in Brazil more than quadruple in the past week.
As of Sunday, the variant known as P.1, considered more spreadable and possibly more dangerous to young people, had been confirmed in 14 Hamilton residents.
That is up from just three P.1 cases reported Thursday.
Confirmed cases of the rarer variant first discovered in South Africa, dubbed B.1.351, have tripled over the same time, from two cases reported Thursday to seven Sunday.
Hamilton also has 3,862 confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom.
The local emergence of the P.1 and B.1.351 variants - of which there are just 1,229 and 400 confirmed cases in Ontario, respectively - comes as case counts in the city continue to surge.
Hamilton has reported at least 100 new novel coronavirus cases in 30 out of the last 31 days - including a record-streak of 19 consecutive days that remains active.
Over the weekend, public health reported 258 new COVID-19 cases, and two new deaths.
One person in their 70s and one person in their 80s were reported to have died Sunday. A total 369 people in Hamilton have perished due to complications with COVID-19 since the outset of the pandemic.
The five new outbreaks declared over the weekend include one at a west Mountain gym.
Two people - one staff, one patron/attendee - have been infected at Freshfhiit Athletic on Upper James Street.
The source of the cases remains unclear.
All gyms in Ontario have been closed since April 7 due to the stay-at-home order.
Municipal Law Enforcement is investigating and could lay charges if there is deemed to be a violation of any provincial regulations or municipal bylaws," said public health spokesperson Aisling Higgins.
Other new outbreaks include Fortinos on Upper Centennial Parkway South with four staff cases, Shoppers Drug Mart on Highway 8 and Go Hot Water on Ottawa Street North each with two staff cases, and Kromet International Inc. on Milburn Road with six staff cases.
Two of those outbreaks - Fortinos and Kromet - have screened positive for variant first discovered in the U.K.
There are now 42 active outbreaks across the city. More than half are at workplaces.
The city's largest outbreak, at the Rebecca Towers apartment building in downtown, grew by 23 cases over the weekend.
A total of 91 people - 88 residents and three staff - have tested positive at the 165-unit, 17-storey highrise, where tenants on Friday criticized public health for not informing them earlier of the outbreak that has also left one person dead.
Meanwhile, in a shade of good news, active case counts in Hamilton have fallen significantly over the past week.
As of Sunday, there 1,154 active COVID cases in the city - down from 1,773 reported May 1.
Sebastian Bron is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbron@thespec.com