Hamilton temporarily closes COVID-19 booking hotline in advance of provincial system launch

The city's COVID-19 Hotline at 905-974-9848, option 7 is temporarily closed with immediate effect.

In a news release Tuesday evening, the city said it madethis decision in an effort to streamline the booking process prior to the launch of the province's online booking system, as well as book those in the community 85+ years of age who have registered for a vaccine appointment.

Residents are being asked not to choose another option on the hotline, as the other lines are reserved for those looking to book testing appointments and need urgent access.

Next steps for those residents who have called to register for a COVID-19 vaccine and who have not received a call back:

• Call-backs for appointments will continue through to March 14at 4 p.m. It is important that residents answer phone calls when they are called back.

• Call-backs will discontinue after March 14th at 4 p.m.

• Beginning March 15, those who have not received a call back are encouraged to use the online booking tool to book an appointment. Booking instructions and a link will be found at www.hamilton.ca/VaccineBooking.

The hotline will reopen on March 15 at 8:30 a.m. and will be available to those who don't have the ability to book online.

Hamilton Public Library staff lend a hand at vaccine clinics

Forty-seven Hamilton Public Library (HPL) staff will be supporting Hamilton Public Health's vaccination clinics over the next few months.

The 47 staff, who are set to begin the week of March 15, will add to the 20 HPL staff already assisting public health in various capacities since January.

"Getting Hamilton residents vaccinated is most important to help save lives and move to a future without COVID-19 restrictions," said HPL's CEO and chief librarian Paul Takala.

"Thanks to HPL staff who are assisting public health's vaccination efforts and thanks to staff who continue to serve library members in-branch and online. This work is vital for a healthier, safer Hamilton."

Throughout the pandemic, the HPL team has stepped up in many ways to support the city's emergency response, including deliveries, PPE manufacturing, records management and scheduling, according to manager, communications, Shelley McKay

In a news release Mckay said working in the vaccine clinics is HPL's largest secondment in the past year.

Due to this movement of staff, HPL is adjusting its service hours at branches. Beginning Monday March 15, HPL is open Tuesday to Friday 1 to 6 p.m. and Saturday 1 to 5 p.m. Branches are closed Sunday and Monday a temporary measure to accommodate the city's recovery efforts.

Additional supply of COVID-19 vaccine welcomed

Meanwhile, Mayors and Chairs from the 11 largest municipal governments across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area welcomed last week's announcement by the federal government that additional vaccine supply would be arriving in the coming days and weeks.

The government of Ontario confirmed it would be distributing that vaccine as quickly as possible along with providing extra doses to communities hit hard by COVID-19.

"The news of additional vaccine supply arriving this week is welcomed," mayor Fred Eisenberger said.

"COVID-19 vaccines are one of the most effective prevention tools to protect the health of individuals and the health of our communities. It is important we all, including community members who have received the vaccine, continue to follow local public health guidelines and preventive health measures to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.

"I strongly encourage everyone to get the vaccine when it is available to you. Vaccines are safe, they work and they will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect our most vulnerable populations," Eisenbergersaid.

98 new cases of COVID-19 in Hamilton

Hamilton Public Health Services is reporting 98 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday.

There are 442 active cases of COVID-19 in the city with two new deaths linked to the virus in the last 24 hours.

Hamilton's weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 people is at 61.

Since March, a total of 289 people have died after contracting COVID-19.

The total number of resolved cases now stands at 10,020

29 COVID-19 outbreaks

There are currently 29 COVID-19 outbreaks in the city, the latest being at the West 5th Campus of St. Joseph's Healthcare.

SJHH says four support staff workers have tested positive for COVID-19 and are now self-isolating at home.

Hamilton Public Health and St. Joe's Infection Prevention and Control and Occupational Health and Safety teams have conducted contact tracing, and staff members considered at risk have been sent home to self-isolate.

SJHH says the affected staff members provide no patient care, and had no interaction with patients or visitors.

Neither the vaccine clinic nor services have been impacted at the West 5th Campus.

The outbreak at St. Matthew's Children Centre (Hamilton) was marked as resolved as of Monday.

Status of vaccine distribution in Hamilton

As of the end of day March 8, a total of 47,996 vaccines had been administered 12,788 at mobile clinics, 31,664 at the fixed clinic at Hamilton Health Sciences, and 5,544 at St. Joseph's Healthcare Clinic.

Brant

The county of Brant has 43 active cases according to data online. There were 9 new cases in the last 24 hours.

There have been 1,537 cases since March 2020 and 12 deaths. There's no one currently hospitalized with COVID-19.

A total of 1,482 cases have been marked as resolved.

There have been 11,204 doses of the vaccine administered.

Haldimand-Norfolk

Haldimand and Norfolk Counties are reporting a total of 40 active cases of COVID-19. There were four new cases over the last 24 hours.

There have been 1,468 cases throughout the pandemic. Of those 1,384 have recovered.

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

There have been 9,658 doses of the vaccine administered.

Halton

The number of COVID-19 cases in Halton rose by 70, for a total of 9,850 so far.

Data indicates 305 of those cases are active.

Seventeen of the new cases were in Burlington, which has seen 2,489 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. There are 52 active cases in the city.

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

The region is reporting a total of 152 variant cases, 21 of which have been confirmed as variants of concern. The remaining 131 have been screened positive. These are individuals for whom a mutation was identified in the case's SARS-CoV-2 positive specimen, suggestive of a possible variant of concern.

There have been 33,255 doses of the vaccine administered in Halton.

Niagara

Niagara is reporting 27 new cases of COVID-19. The region has seen 8,791 cases over the course of the pandemic, including 215 that are active.

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

Meanwhile, 8,207 cases are now marked as resolved.

There have been 11,869 doses of the vaccine administered in Niagara.

Six Nations

Six Nations of the Grand River has 44active COVID-19 cases, according to Ohsweken Public Health.

There have been 398 cases reported over the course of the pandemic and five deaths.

A total of 349cases have been marked as resolved.

Five people are currently hospitalized as a result of COVID-19.

Six Nations is currently in two weeks of lockdown until Friday, March 19.

During the two-week period programs and services are limited to urgent needs only.

Ontario sees 1,185 new cases of COVID-19

Ontario reported another 1,185 cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, along with six more deaths of people with the virus.

Ontario's lab network completed 33,264 test samples for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and logged a test positivity rate of 3.7 per cent the highest it has been on a single day in two weeks.