Hamilton reports 15 new cases of COVID-19 and another fatality
Published April 16, 2020 at 12:13 am
Hamilton is reporting 15 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday (April 15), and there are five probable cases.
Hamilton is reporting 15 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday (April 15), and there are five probable cases.
There has also been another death in the city related to the virus, which brings the total to 10.
The latest victim, who died on Monday (April 13), is a 62-year-old woman who was not associated with any of the long-term homes in Hamilton where outbreaks had been declared.
Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, Hamilton’s Medical Officer of Health, said at Wednesday’s virtual Town Hall that the outbreak at Wentworth Lodge has been declared over.
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At Cardinal Retirement Residences, 16 staff members have been confirmed COVID-19 positive, as well as 26 residents.
There are still outbreaks declared at Heritage Green Nursing Home, Chartwell Deerview Crossing Retirement Residences, Kingsberry Place Seniors Residence, and Clarion Nursing Home, as well as among the staff at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s Special Care Nursery.
When asked about a possible timeline for when restrictions might let up, Richardson said that they’re keeping an eye on the virus’s ‘doubling rate.’
This is the length of time it takes for the number of cases to double.
Richardson pointed to China, where at the height of their outbreak, their doubling rate was one or two days.
She noted that Hamilton’s has improved in the last week or so to 20 days.
“Which is good news,” she said. But she cautioned that that doesn’t mean that it’s safe to relax restrictions because the virus is still spreading,
“We still need to protect the most vulnerable.”
During the Town Hall meeting, Mayor Fred Eisenberger once again applauded the efforts of residents, the majority of which are following the guidelines laid out by public health but said now is not the time to let up.
“We have to accept that fact that this is necessary to protect the health of our fellow citizens,” he said.
“We know there are challenges and difficulties in doing this and we’re going to do everything we can to see [everyone] through this.”
There have been 69 cases of COVID-19 in Hamilton that indicate that there is spread in the community, in addition to other travel and contact related cases.
Overall, since the first case in Hamilton was diagnosed, 25 per cent of confirmed COVID-19 cases were identified as community-acquired.
In the last 10 days, 17 per cent of confirmed local COVID-19 cases were community-acquired, 60 per cent are close or casual contact with a case and no travel history, zero per cent have direct travel history and 23 per cent are pending investigation.
Of the 271 COVID-19 cases in Hamilton, 123 have been resolved (approx. 45 per cent).
There were 494 new COVID-19 cases confirmed in Ontario — 8,447 in total — and 385 residents have died of the virus.
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