Juravinski COVID outbreak connected to ‘variant of concern’; Hamilton confirms three cases of B.1.1.7
Hamilton Health Sciences says an outbreak at the Juravinski Hospital is linked to a variant of concern."
In a news release Saturday, the hospital said three cases of COVID-19 associated" to the B3 unit outbreak have screened positive as a variant of concern."
The positive screenings have been sent off for confirmatory sequencing," stated the release.
The outbreak on the medicine unit had two cases as of Saturday, according to Hamilton public health. Both cases are connected to patients.
It's unclear which variant of concern the outbreak is connected to, but as of Saturday, the city has reported three confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 variant. Another 44 cases have screened positive for a variant.
The city also updated its daily COVID-19 numbers website to include the lineage" of outbreaks.
Hamilton recorded 52 new cases on Saturday as well as two new deaths, marking a total of 283 since the pandemic was declared last March.
Both of the new deaths were residents between the ages of 60 and 69. Nothing more is known about their deaths, as public health no longer shares that information.
Public health reported one new death connected to an outbreak on the M2 unit of the Juravinski on Saturday - marking the first death in the outbreak that was declared on Feb. 19. As of Saturday, five patients and three staff members have been infected.
Deaths are considered COVID deaths" if the person died with COVID, not necessarily because of it.
As of Saturday, Hamilton has 26 active outbreaks.
An outbreak on the 5W unit at the Hamilton General Hospital was declared Friday after three staff members and one patient tested positive for the virus.
An active outbreak at the Salvation Army Booth Centre at 94 York Blvd. has 42 cases, up from 38 on Friday. Eight staff members and 34 residents have tested positive since the outbreak was declared on Feb. 10.
The outbreak at A.M. Cunningham Elementary School, which infected two students, is over.
Hamilton has recorded a total of 10,429 confirmed and probable cases of COVID since the pandemic began. Of those, 438 are active cases and 9,552 cases, or 92 per cent of all cases, are considered resolved.
There are currently 42 patients in the city's hospitals, and 771 Hamiltonians have been hospitalized since the start of the pandemic.
Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com