Hamilton officially enters Stage 3 of COVID-19 reopening plan

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Published July 24, 2020 at 1:19 pm

As of Friday (July 24), Hamilton entered Stage 3 of reopening, 24-hours after the city reported no new cases of COVID-19.

As of Friday (July 24), Hamilton entered Stage 3 of reopening, 24-hours after the city reported no new cases of COVID-19.

There have been 881 cases of COVID-19 reported in Hamilton since the middle of March; of these, 872 have been confirmed and nine are considered probable.

Stage 3 of reopening means most businesses will be allowed to reopen but only with measures in place to help reduce the spread of the virus.

The City of Hamilton also announced that playground structures will be reopening to the public on Friday as well and so too will the Gage Park Tropical Greenhouse.

People accessing these amenities are required to practice physical distancing, repeated hand washing and wear a mask at the Greenhouse.

The local death toll related to COVID-19 remains 44.

It’s been exactly one month since Hamilton’s death toll went up. A woman who was a resident of the Rosslyn Nursing Home died on June 23 in hospital and hers was the most recent death in the community associated with the virus.

The outbreak at The Rosslyn claimed the lives of 16 residents of the facility, which has since had its operating licence revoked.

There is currently one active outbreak being reported at a Hamilton congregate-care facility tested positive for the virus last week.

The number of resolved cases in Hamilton is up to 822, representing approximately 93 per cent of overall cases.

The numbers show that there are currently 15 known active cases in the community at the moment.

In a statement issued Monday, Mayor Fred Eisenberger hinted that Hamilton’s approach will be similar to previous phases, perhaps not as cumbersome as reopening child care centres but cautious nonetheless.

“As we work on reopening additional services and amenities in line with Provincial guidelines, I will once again ask our community to have patience as we work to make sure our reopening remains safe and successful as we do not want to undo the great progress we have made so far,” Eisenberger said.

“Entering into Stage 3 does not mean our fight against this virus is over.”

So what will Stage 3 look like in Hamilton?

Regions in Stage 3 can hold indoor gatherings of up to 50 people, while outdoor gatherings can include as many as 100 as long as physical distancing measures are in place.

The Stage 3 rules clear the way for restaurants to resume indoor service, as well as for businesses such as gyms, bars and theatres to begin welcoming customers, but with safety measures in place.

According to the province’s Stage 3 framework, the following places and activities are considered high-risk and will not resume on Friday:

  • Amusement parks and water parks
  • Buffet-style food services
  • Dancing at restaurants and bars, other than by performers hired by the establishment following specific requirements
  • Overnight stays at camps for children
  • Private karaoke rooms
  • Prolonged or deliberate contact while playing sports
  • Saunas, steam rooms, bathhouses and oxygen bars
  • Table games at casinos and gaming establishments

The mayors of some of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area’s largest municipalities released a joint statement Monday asking the province to consider adopting additional public health measures for bars, restaurants and fitness facilities.

Meanwhile, Ontario reported 103 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, and no new deaths related to the novel coronavirus.

The total number of cases now stands at 38,210, which includes 2,755 deaths and 33,963 resolved cases.

There were 151 resolved cases newly reported Thursday.

The province says it was able to complete more than 26,000 tests the previous day.

It also says 154 people are in hospital because of the virus, including 35 people in intensive care and 21 on ventilators.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says 28 of the province’s 34 public health units are reporting five or fewer cases.

— with a file and photo from The Canadian Press

Original story was published by Amy Kouniakis 

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