Hamilton surpasses 20,000 COVID-19 cases

Hamilton has reached a new pandemic milestone, surpassing 20,000 total COVID-19 cases since last March.

The city's public health service reported 87 new cases Sunday, bringing Hamilton's total case load to 20,076.

Nearly 92 per cent of those cases are considered recovered and 378 residents have died with the virus. There were no new deaths reported Sunday.

Three new outbreaks were added to the city's list Sunday.

There are suspected outbreaks at both J & M Lodging Home and Hatts Off on Delaware Avenue where one resident at each of the facilities has tested positive.

An outbreak was also declared at the Mount Hamilton Baptist daycare after two patrons tested positive for the virus.

Another outbreak was put back on the list by public health after being removed last week.

An outbreak at Heritage Green Nursing Home in Stoney Creek has shot up to eight cases, all among staff. Some of the cases are the B.1.1.7 variant, which was first detected in the United Kingdom.

The latest outbreak, declared Friday, comes less than a month after Hamilton public health issued a compliance order for the home after inspections allegedly found infection control breaches during a previous outbreak.

There are currently 38 active outbreaks in Hamilton. The largest ongoing outbreak in the city is at the Rebecca Towers apartment complex, where 107 residents and three staff members have tested positive. One person has died.

More than 1,370 Hamiltonians have been hospitalized with the virus.

A worker at the Sobeys Extra in Ancaster tested positive for COVID-19, according to the store's parent company. The employee was last in the Golf Links Road store on May 17.

Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com