People in Hamilton are flocking to parks and that's not a bad thing, expert says

Google mobility data over the past two weeks shows people in Hamilton have been taking advantage of the hot weather by going outdoors during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And while Hamilton public health previously saw a concerning uptick in mobility,Dr. Zain Chagla, co-medical director of infection control and an infectious diseases physician at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, says more people being outside isn't a bad thing.

The data takes current mobility levels and compares themtothe median levels of movement betweenJan. 3 and Feb. 6, 2020.

Data from May 15 showed a 119 per cent increase in people visitingparks. Data from May 21 showed a 55 per cent increase in mobility to parks.

Chagla says that type of movement poses "very, very minor risk."

"When much of the recreational and high-risk establishments like restaurants and otherwise are closed, if people are going outside to a park, it's not going to be a high level of transmission," he said in an interview on Thursday.

"It's still important to mask in very crowded settings in parks and distance, but even in that context, we still see very little transmission."

The province also recently eased some restrictions toward outdoor activities.

He said mobility data is more important when focused onplaces that are high-risk, like workplaces. In Hamilton, mobility to workplaces has consistently been down by 40 per cent.

"That's probably what's driving our cases going down," he said.