COVID numbers dropping in Hamilton — but a long way still to go
Despite Hamilton's COVID numbers dropping, the city says you shouldn't plan any large in-person events for 2021.
Nobody can predict when we will be able to do some of these events," Paul Johnson, director of the Emergency Operations Centre, said at a city briefing Monday.
The city reported 55 new cases, which is a significant fall from the daily record of 205 infections set Jan. 5.
The decrease is seen across Ontario but there's still a long way to go before restrictions can be eased, says Ontario's chief medical officer of health.
It's all moving in the right direction," said Dr. David Williams. We're back to where we were about the second or third week in December. We have to get back to where we were at the end of October, so we have a way to go yet."
The number of new daily cases per 100,000 population has also fallen dramatically in Hamilton to 84 from 193 on Jan. 8. But the key metric is still a far cry from 48.1 from Nov. 1 to 7.
These are the sorts of numbers at which, on the upswing in December, lots of people were saying, Shouldn't we really be getting into lockdown because these numbers are so high?'" said Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, Hamilton's medical officer of health. Remember that perspective. These are still quite high numbers."
One big worry is the fast-spreading variants, with Ontario reporting its first case in Peel of B.1.351, which is also known as the South African variant.
Hamilton has not had variants found, although Williams stressed many cases of the B.1.1.7 or U.K. variant have been identified in the Greater Toronto Area. It has also been found in Haldimand and Norfolk.
It may already be community spread of the U.K. variant," he said. How bad it is and how quick it's going to go, we don't know yet. We want to be able to assess that carefully before we just open things up."
Hospitalizations are high, with Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) and St. Joseph's Healthcare caring for 109 COVID patients, including 21 in the intensive-care unit. To compare, fewer than 150 people total were hospitalized in the first four months of the pandemic.
We're in this very ... precarious position," said Williams. The numbers are not down low enough to say the hospitals are out of the heat ... they're not. They're still in the thick of it."
Three more patients were sent to Hamilton from overburdened hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area.
In total, 24 COVID patients have been transferred - eight to the Charlton Campus, seven to Hamilton General Hospital, six to Burlington's Joseph Brant Hospital and three to Niagara Health.
Richardson said there is also still a very high number" of outbreaks in Hamilton with 46 ongoing, including six workplaces.
People are letting their guard down during their breaks or carpooling," said Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario's associate chief medical officer of health. If you are taking your mask off to eat or drink, make sure you are at least two metres away from other people. Try not to carpool and, if you must, keep as separate as possible wearing masks."
Grace Villa is in outbreak again only 11 days after the largest and deadliest COVID outbreak in Hamilton at the long-term-care home was declared over.
One staff member has tested positive at the east Mountain home, resulting in the new outbreak declared Jan. 31. The first outbreak saw 234 people become infected and 44 die between Nov. 25 and Jan. 20.
Grace Villa is one of 27 outbreaks at Hamilton seniors' homes and hospital units. In addition, there are outbreaks at three daycares and 10 community organizations, which include shelters and other vulnerable congregate living settings.
The high number of hospital outbreaks have contributed to 174 staff and physicians self-isolating at HHS. Of those, 64 have COVID.
Six Nations is warning it has identified positive cases from midwinter ceremonies from Jan. 15 to Jan. 26. All who attended are asked to get tested immediately.
Six Nations has reported 10 new cases in the last seven days.
In Hamilton, an engagement party with 15 guests has Johnson reminding residents to follow public health measures.
People ... don't like people breaking the rules and, in all likelihood, we're going to get a call," said Johnson. It is in those environments that we've seen that spread happen."
An outbreak is over at the Cardinal Retirement Residence, where eight were infected and one died from Jan. 7 to Jan. 30. This was the second deadly outbreak at the home at 10 Herkimer St., which had 65 cases and nine deaths in the first wave.
Also over is an outbreak at Active Green and Ross Tire and Automotive Centre at Lime Ridge Mall.
Joanna Frketich is a Hamilton-based reporter covering health for The Spectator. Reach her via email: jfrketich@thespec.com