Hamilton records 152 new COVID cases and six more outbreaks Saturday — including four at workplaces
Hamilton reported 152 new COVID-19 cases and six new outbreaks Saturday.
It is the fourth time in the last six days the city has recorded more than 100 daily novel coronavirus infections.
Four of the six new outbreaks listed are in workplace settings.
An outbreak was declared Friday at ArcelorMittal's iron maintenance department after two staff members tested positive for COVID-19.
The infections at the Hamilton steelmaker come just one day after public health declared a variant-linked outbreak at its Dofasco plant, where two workers have tested positive.
Other new workplace-related outbreaks reported include G.L. Tiley and Associates Ltd. in Dundas with two cases, Michaels on Stone Church Road East with four cases and Turtle Jack's in Stoney Creek with three cases.
All of the cases are among staff members.
The biggest increase in infections among the city's 49 active outbreaks Saturday was Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Elementary School, where 12 students have tested positive for coronavirus, up from the seven reported Friday.
The Mountain school closed Tuesday to curb the spread of the outbreak and is expected to return to in-person learning April 19.
Nearly half of all Hamilton schools have at least one case of COVID-19 as students and staff head into the April break.
Meanwhile, active case counts and hospitalizations in Hamilton continue to climb.
The city reported 948 active COVID cases Saturday, a slight jump from the 929 listed Friday. The last time there were more than 1,000 active cases was Jan. 13.
Twenty-two people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 over the past two days.
About 75 per cent of the city's total COVID hospitalizations - 674 out of 1,050 - have come since Dec. 26.
Oddly, the city lowered its coronavirus deaths total by one Saturday.
Spokesperson Antonella Giancarlo said fluctuations are normal with any data reporting.
Some reasons for fluctuation include ongoing investigation and data collection, transfers between health units, error detection and linking/unlinking cases to outbreaks," said Giancarlo in a statement.
A total of 331 people with COVID-19 in Hamilton have died since the outset of the pandemic.
Sebastian Bron is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbron@thespec.com