Hamilton surpasses 3,000 active COVID cases

Hamilton reported 540 new COVID cases Wednesday, surpassing 3,000 active cases for the first time.

One more person has died with the virus.

While Hamilton is reporting 3,189 active cases Wednesday, actual case counts are likely much higher as COVID tests are hard to come by.

Three new outbreaks were also reported. Willow's Place/Emma's Place, Mission Services of Hamilton-run spaces for women experiencing homelessness, have three staff cases in an outbreak declared Dec. 27. Christian Horizons group home at 23 Filice Ct. has two staff cases as of Dec. 28.

The Cardinal Retirement Residence has a suspected outbreak with one resident case as of Dec. 28. A suspected outbreak is one where a single resident tests positive in a congregate setting, or where multiple cases are found in high-risk settings through rapid antigen tests and PCR confirmation is pending.

The full number of outbreaks in Hamilton is not known after public health stopped declaring new outbreaks in workplaces and community settings last week. Only new outbreaks in high-risk settings such as hospitals, schools and seniors' homes will appear on the city's dashboard.

More to come ...

Maria Iqbal covers aging issues for The Spectator. miqbal@thespec.com