Hamilton neighbourhoods with the best and worst rates for COVID boosters
The city reported the death of seven more Hamiltonians in two days as the toll from COVID continues to surge.
A woman in her 50s is among the latest deaths. The province lists that she got COVID as a close contact of another case at the beginning of January.
Of the remaining deaths reported Wednesday and Thursday, three were seniors in their 80s and three were in their 70s.
The city has reported 35 COVID deaths from Jan. 19 to Jan. 27, including a resident in their 40s. Hamilton's pandemic death toll is now at 471.
The province has also seen a spike in pandemic deaths, prompting Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, to start an ongoing review.
Moore stressed Thursday the importance of third doses to protect against severe outcomes.
Data from Ontario research institute ICES shows a vast divide in Hamilton for booster shots similar to findings throughout the vaccine rollout.
Fewer than one in four residents have boosters as of Jan. 9 in some parts of the city compared to nearly one in two in other neighbourhoods.
The lowest rate of 23 per cent is in the forward sortation area (FSA) L8L, stretching from the waterfront to King Street East and from west of James Street North to Ottawa Street North.
Practically next door, the rate is nearly double at 41 per cent in L8P that stretches from King Street West to the escarpment and from James Street South to Highway 403.
Low rates are also found in central Hamilton's L8N and L8R, as well as L8H in east Hamilton and L8J on the east and Stoney Creek Mountain.
The best rate of 48 per cent is in L9H in Dundas. It's followed by Ancaster's L9G and west Hamilton's L8S, which includes the Westdale and Ainslie Wood neighbourhoods.
None are close to the highs and lows of the province that range from 16 per cent in an FSA in Peel to 55 per cent in part of Kingston.
The ICES data also shows case and hospitalization rates are higher in Hamilton's neighbourhoods with lower third-dose coverage.
Two (doses) is good but three is proving to be much better," said Moore.
Hamilton was down to 60 active outbreaks Thursday compared to 101 on Jan. 14. However, it's still above the high before Omicron of 53 in January.
A large outbreak at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre was declared over Wednesday after 56 inmates and 26 staff were infected since Dec. 31.
In the last two days, two deaths have been reported at Arbour Creek Care Centre, where 86 have been infected. There was also one death at St. Peter's Hospital, where three tested positive.
Joanna Frketich is a health reporter at The Spectator. jfrketich@thespec.com