Hamilton’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic shut down
Temporary closure comes as hospitals struggle to care for high numbers of coronavirus patients
The COVID-19 vaccine clinic temporarily closed at Hamilton Health Sciences amid shortages that have limited immunization to only residents of seniors’ homes and second doses.
The clinic shut its doors Wednesday after reducing appointments on Monday and Tuesday to 300 a day from 1,000 at its height.
It comes as hospitals struggle to care for high numbers of COVID patients, with six more sent to Hamilton, Burlington and Niagara from overburdened hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area.
In total, 21 COVID patients have been transferred to area hospitals — seven to the Charlton Campus of St. Joseph’s Healthcare, five to Hamilton General Hospital, six to Burlington’s Joseph Brant Hospital and three to Niagara Health.
Hamilton hospitals were caring for 135 COVID patients Wednesday.
To compare, fewer than 150 people total were hospitalized in Hamilton over the first four months of the pandemic.
The last month has seen a particularly significant jump, with HHS caring on Wednesday for nearly double the number of COVID patients at 97 than it was on Dec. 29, when it set a record of 50.
There is hope hospitals will see relief as new daily infections are lower now than at the beginning of January.
Hamilton reported 70 new cases Wednesday — only once in the last nine days has the number been above double digits. It’s also well below the single-day record of 209 set on Jan. 5.
But provincial public health officials caution the number of COVID infections remain high. To compare, Hamilton’s singleday record was 71 on Nov. 26, when the city was in the red zone.
There is also worry about three fast-spreading COVID variants — one is already in Ontario, although there have been no cases of the B.1.1.7 variant found in Hamilton so far despite increased surveillance.
Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. David Williams, cautioned Monday that the B.1.1.7 variant “took off exponentially” in the U.K.
“We haven’t seen that yet,” he said. “That gives me some reassurance that our measures are holding.”
Hamilton’s pandemic death toll is 243 after the city reported three more COVID deaths Wednesday — 11 deaths have been reported in two days.
Of the most recent deaths, two appear to be seniors age 80 or more and one appears to be between the ages of 70 to 79.
It’s unknown if they died in outbreaks because the city no longer provides that information.
There was a new death reported in the outbreak on unit E3 of Juravinski Hospital, where 29 have been infected and seven have died. As of Wednesday, there are outbreaks on 11 hospital units at HHS and St. Joseph’s.
The city’s 50 ongoing outbreaks also include 22 seniors’ homes and 11 other vulnerable congregate settings, including the Salvation Army Lawson Ministries, where an outbreak was declared Jan. 26 after two people tested positive.
In addition, there are outbreaks at three workplaces and three daycares.
Outbreaks have been declared over at long-term-care home Idlewyld Manor, accounting firm Pettinelli Mastroluisi on James Street South and Rygiel Supports for Community Living on the west Mountain. However, a second Rygiel outbreak is ongoing.
No date has been given as yet for when the HHS immunization clinic will reopen for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine’s second doses, some of which started being administered on Jan.
18.
The second doses will be stretched as far out as 42 days compared to the recommended
21.
Only residents of seniors’ homes are expected to get the second dose on time. The second dose of the Modena vaccine will be give within the recommended 28 days.
So far 19,200 doses have been administered in Hamilton but public health can’t provide any kind of breakdown of who has received them. It also doesn’t know how many seniors are left to vaccinate in long-term care and high-risk retirement homes.
It’s significant because the province wants residents vaccinated by Feb. 5 and is diverting vaccine to make that happen.
Local public health said in a statement that no vaccine destined for Hamilton has been diverted so far.
It has blamed the lack of data on the province.
“It’s a complete lack of transparency,” said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, also MPP for Hamilton Centre. “Why all the secrecy?”