200 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 as Hamilton logs 154 new cases

A total of 200 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 as Hamilton recorded an additional 154 cases on Thursday.

At St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton there are 46 patients currently admitted with confirmed COVID-19 while seven staff and physicians have been hospitalized with the illness.

A total of 29 staff and physicians are self isolating.

Hamilton Health Sciences is reporting 119 patients and 28 staff and physicians with confirmed cases of COVID-19. There are 54 patients in the intensive care unit.

Wendy Stewart, public relationsspecialist, says the number of people hospitalized is the highest they have seen during the pandemic.

"HHS is continuing to collaborate with provincial and federal partners to respond to the pandemic," Stewart said.

"This includes the potential deployment of the Canadian Armed Forces to support patients in the coming weeks if needed."

There are 1,576 active cases of COVID-19 in the city. The cumulative total for cases over the course of the pandemic is 16,966.

There were no deaths linked to the virus in the last 24 hours. A total of 359 people have died after contracting COVID-19.

40 COVID-19 outbreaks

Meanwhile, HPHS is reporting 40 COVID-19 outbreaks in the city.

Four new outbreaks were declared on Wednesday as follows:

• Goulet Cleaning Waterdown.

• Graystone Children's Early Learning Academy.

• Hatts Off Inc. Ninth Avenue.

• SM Cladding Solutions

Meanwhile, the following outbreaks have been declared over:

• ArcelorMittal Dofasco #1 MRA.

• City of Hamilton, Roads Department, 330 Wentworth St. N.

Vaccination program expands to include adults aged 55+

A total of 186,114 doses of vaccines have been administered as of the end of day April 28, according to Hamilton Public Health Services.

On Thursday the city announced thatIn alignment with provincial direction, effective Friday, April 30, those residents in Hamilton who are 55 years of age and older (in 2021) are eligible to book an appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

Members of the public can access the provincial online booking portal an appointment at a large-scale clinic.

Those who do not have access to the internet or a computer, or do not have a valid Ontario photo health card, should call the Public Health Services COVID-19 Hotline at 905-974-9848, option 7 to book an appointment.

Due to potential call volumes expected at the call centre, the City of Hamilton encourages everyone to self-register online if able to so.

Brant

The county of Brant has 255 active cases according to data online. There were 18 new cases over the last 24 hours.

There have been 2,660 cases since March 2020 and 17 deaths. There are 18 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19.

A total of 2,418 cases have been marked as resolved.

There have been 50,054 doses of the vaccine administered. Of this number, 4457 have completed their vaccination series.

Haldimand-Norfolk

Haldimand and Norfolk Counties are reporting a total of 265 active cases of COVID-19, with 25 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours.

There have been 2,256 cases throughout the pandemic. Of those 1,945 have recovered.

The local public health unit has linked the virus to 41 deaths.

There have been 37,977 doses of the vaccine administered. Of this number 3,938 have completed the vaccination series.

Niagara

Niagara is reporting 166 new cases of COVID-19. The region has seen 13,704 cases over the course of the pandemic, including 2,4989 that are active.

A total of 391 deaths have been linked to the virus over the course of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, 10,324 cases are now marked as resolved.

There have been 175,291 doses of the vaccine administered in Niagara.

Six Nations

Six Nations of the Grand River is reported28 active cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday. There have been 490 total cases, and 452 are resolved.

One person is currently hospitalized with COVID-19 and 10 deaths have been linked to the virus.

A total of 1,152 people have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 1,509 people have received both doses.

Ontario logs 3,871 new cases of COVID-19

Ontario reported 3,871 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, as total deaths in the province topped 8,000 and admissions to intensive care reached another pandemic high.

The 41 deaths in today's provincial update the most recorded on a single day since February 19 push Ontario's official toll to 8,029. The seven-day average of daily deaths sits at about 28.6, slightly below the current third-wave peak.

As of Wednesday, there were 884 patients with COVID-related critical illnesses being treated in intensive care units. Of those, 620 required a ventilator to breathe.

Ontario's health-care system continues to be nearly overwhelmed by the relentless influx of new COVID-19 patients to hospitals. Critical Care Services Ontario, a government agency that compiles a daily tally of hospitalizations, says that 53 more adults were admitted to ICUs yesterday alone, as well as one infant with a COVID-related illness.

This week the Ministry of Health issued an emergency order to allow hospitals to transfer patients who have largely recovered to long-term care or retirement homes, and without their consent if the circumstances necessitate it. Earlier this month, hospitals throughout Ontario were ordered to halt non-emergency procedures, while critical units at several major pediatric hospitals opened to younger adults with COVID-19 in need of treatment.