Rebecca Towers outbreak grows, Hamilton has fewest active COVID cases in a month
Hamilton's Rebecca Towers outbreak continues to grow as the city recorded fewer than 100 new COVID cases for the first time in weeks.
The outbreak at the 17-storey building, located at 235 Rebecca St., now has 107 cases, up from 103 Monday. Public health has encouraged apartment residents to continue practising physical distancing in the building and abiding by capacity limits in public spaces, such as elevators. Just one elevator is working in the building as the other one is undergoing what the company that owns the building calls essential" work.
Two other apartment buildings have outbreaks. At Wellington Place Apartments, which is just north of Wilson Street, there are 22 cases, up from 18 Monday. At The Village Apartments near York Boulevard, there are 29 cases, the same as Monday.
On Tuesday, the city recorded 94 new cases, the first time since April 19 that daily cases were fewer than 100. However, better markers to indicate where the city is at, case-wise, include the seven-day case average - currently 133 cases per day - and the seven-day rate per 100,000 population, which is currently 155.
A total of 1,048 cases are active - the lowest in a month.
The city's per cent positivity rate stands at 12.2, which is high.
At Hamilton hospitals, 27 of St. Joseph's Healthcare's 36 COVID patients are in the ICU, and 35 of Hamilton Health Sciences' 99 COVID patients are in the ICU.
A total of 41 outbreaks are active. No new outbreaks were reported Tuesday.
Outbreaks now over include: Maple Leaf Heritage, which had 13 cases, YWCA Hamilton downtown childcare centre, which had six cases, Graystone Children's Early Learning Academy, which had four cases, Hatts Off Inc. on Ninth Ave., which had two cases, Lexsan Electrical Inc. at the Woodward Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant, which had four cases, Footletic, which had two cases, State Group Inc., which had four cases.
Katrina Clarke is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: katrinaclarke@thespec.com