Nineteen people in Hamilton hospitalized with COVID-19 over past two days

Nineteen people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 in Hamilton over the past two days.

Public health reported 376 total hospitalizations since the pandemic began on Saturday, up five per cent from the number posted Dec. 24.

Active case counts continue to surge as the city reported 1,213 on Dec. 26, breaking the previous record of 1,139 set on Dec. 24.

Public health did not publish a COVID-19 report on Christmas.

Five more people with coronavirus have died in Hamilton. A total of 152 people have died since the pandemic began.

The city reported no new outbreaks Saturday, but local long-term care homes continue to bear the brunt of what has been a crippling second wave.

Shalom Village, the site of Hamilton's second-worst COVID-19 outbreak, reported 157 total novel coronavirus cases on Dec. 26, up 40 from Dec. 24. Eighty-seven residents, 67 staff and three visitors of the Macklin Street North home have been infected with the virus.

At Grace Villa, the city's worst outbreak, three new cases and three new deaths were reported. A total of 222 people - 141 residents and 81 staff members - have tested positive at the 184-bed home, while 32 have died.

Hamilton reported 162 new infections Boxing Day, bringing the city's total number of cases to 5,473 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Sebastian Bron is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbron@thespec.com