Hamilton's active COVID-19 caseload almost as bad as it was a month ago

Hamilton's active cases and weekly cases per 100,000 peoplehave climbed in the past month, showing the city's pandemic situation is almost as badas it was at the start of February.

After infections began to fall from January into mid-February, some of the city's COVID-19 data couldhave allowed for Hamilton to loosen restrictions and drop into the province's Orange-Restrict zone.

The city stayed in red over fearsvariants of concern would spread.

Fast forward two weeks, the city now has431 active cases and55 weekly cases per 100,000 people.

While that's still far below the numbers in January, the figures arealmost back to where they were four weeksago on Feb. 7, when the city had527 active cases and 65 weekly cases per 100,000 people.

Therearealso four confirmed variant cases in Hamilton (all the B117 variant first seen in the U.K.). Hamilton Public Health Services (HPHS) is also waiting to confirm 106 variant cases that have screened positive.

The statisticsalignwith warnings from public health to remain cautious.

Dr. Dominik Mertz, HHS medical director of infection prevention control, has also said in past weeks a third wave is inevitable, a lockdown could come by the end of March, and local COVID-19 cases may jump within the next two weeks.

2 new outbreaks, 2 new deaths

Two more deaths were reported related to the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, including aperson in their 70s.

There are 27 outbreaks in the city, two of which are new.

HPHSreported a new outbreak at Red Hill Toyota at2333 Barton St. E., where three workers have tested positive. Orchard Park Secondary School also has a student and staff member with the virus.

The outbreak at the Salvation Army on York Boulevard grew by one, to57 cases since the outbreak was declared on Feb. 10.

TheHamilton General Hospital Unit 5 West outbreak grew to 13 cases, with three more infected patients. The outbreak at theJuravinski Hospital in Unit M2awas declared over. It infected eight people and was linked to two deaths.

114 newcases over the weekend

HPHS is reporting 114 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend, 79 of which came on Sunday.

There are431 active cases of COVID-19in the city and Hamilton's weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 people is at 55.

The city's reproduction number is1.03 (which means, on average, a person with COVID-19 will infect one other person).

Forty-seven people are in hospital with the virus.

Since March 2020, a total of 10,801 people have been infected(confirmed and probable cases) and 287people have died after contracting COVID-19.

The total number of resolved casesstands at 9,909.

Status of vaccine distribution in Hamilton

As of the end of Thursday, public health says it has administered41,360doses of vaccine.

That includes11,953 at the mobile clinic,28,212 doses the Hamilton Health Sciences fixed clinic and1,195 at theSt. Joseph's Healthcare site.

Brant

The county of Brant has 38 active cases according todata online.

There have been 1,520cases since March and 12 deaths.

There are two peoplehospitalized with COVID-19.

A total of 1,470cases have been marked as resolved.

There have been 10,258 doses of the vaccine administered.

Haldimand-Norfolk

Haldimand and Norfolk counties arereportinga total of 34active cases of COVID-19

There have been 1,459cases throughout the pandemic. Of those, 1,381are labelled asrecovered.

The local public health unit has linked the virus to 39 deaths.

There have been 8,474 doses of the vaccine administered.

EZ Grow Farms has a COVID-19 case and Ryder Farms has an outbreak.

Halton

The number of COVID-19 cases in Halton rose by 52, for a total of9,746.

The data shows278of those cases are active.

Three of the new cases were in Burlington, which has seen 2,466cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. There are 42 active cases in the city.

A total of 198people across the region have died after being infected with the virus, 49 of them in Burlington.

The region is reporting 19 confirmed variants of concern, two of which are in Burlington.

Niagara

Niagara is reporting 23new cases of COVID-19. The region has seen8,744 cases over the course of the pandemic, including 199that are active.

A total of 369 deaths have been linked to the virus over the course of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, 8,176 cases are marked as resolved.

There have been 11,727 doses of the vaccine administered in Niagara.

Six Nations

As of Friday, Six Nations of the Grand Riverhad 114 active COVID-19 cases, according toOhsweken Public Health.

It says there are four people in hospital. There have been 383 cases reported there over the course of the pandemic andfour deaths.