21 likely COVID-19 variant cases in the city
Ontario doctors call for a ban on indoor dining in all red zones
Hamilton has 21 presumed cases of fast-spreading COVID-19 variants at the same time that numbers appear to be rising.
“I’m increasingly concerned that we have hit the bottom of the curve and may be beginning to see (it) creeping back up,” medical officer of health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson said at a city briefing Tuesday.
“It may be that we are at another critical point in the pandemic.”
The city reported 38 new infections Monday with cases continuing to rise in outbreaks at the Barton Street jail, Salvation Army Booth Centre shelter, Stelco, YWCA’s Carole Anne’s Place and Juravinski Hospital.
Another senior aged 80 or older has died, bringing the city’s pandemic death toll to 279. More than 70 per cent of Hamilton’s COVID deaths have been among this age group.
So far only one case of the fastspreading variant B.1.1.7, which originated in the U.K., has been confirmed in Hamilton.
But 21 more variant cases are presumed. The screening done on all positive cases in Ontario doesn’t identify which of the three highly contagious variants make up those cases.
“Nearly all of those that are screened positive, go on to be confirmed,” said Richardson. “I can not stress enough how important it is that we not let our guards down at this point. It is absolutely vital that members of the public — even those who have been vaccinated — continue to practise public health measures.”
With no trigger yet for Ontario’s emergency brake that would put Hamilton back in lockdown and no added restrictions coming from the city’s public health unit, the onus was put back on residents, with Richardson saying that just because you can do something in the red zone — such as indoor gatherings of five — doesn’t mean you should.
“Just as with any rule, that doesn’t mean that is exactly what you should be doing at any point in time,” said Richardson. “The speed limit may be posted at 80 or 100, but if circumstances show that you shouldn’t be doing that, then you should be driving at a lower speed — and it’s definitely the same as we’re going through (with) COVID-19.”
But Ontario’s doctors call that kind of messaging “confusing” as the province lifts the stay-athome order in most regions while telling residents to only go out for essentials.
“If it is open, people will go,” Dr. Ariel Dalfen, psychiatrist at Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital, said during a media briefing held by the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) on Tuesday. “It’s not because they’re bad people ... They think it’s OK. People think governments have their best interests at heart.”
Infectious disease consult Dr. Larissa Matukas called the province’s position “precarious,” as the number of fastspreading variants has risen to 14 per cent of all positive cases from seven to 10 per cent two weeks ago.
“If we open up too quickly, than it is quite clear that human behaviour … is that if you can, you will,” said Matukas, head of the division of microbiology at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital. “What will happen is that variant will definitively take that to its advantage and it will spread in those circumstances where we don’t have really good measures in place.”
She said restrictions are needed that “really help direct people to chose the safer options” because “any small breach” will result in transmission with the variants.
The province’s COVID-19 framework was created before the variants had community spread and Peel’s medical officer of health, Dr. Lawrence Loh, said the limits and thresholds “do seem to be out of keeping with evidence” and need to be updated.
“A dose of realism would actually suggest that avoiding a third case resurgence of COVID-19 in our communities is likely not possible,” he said. “The first and most critical principle in engaging any sort of reopening is to ensure we are moving gradually.”
The OMA is calling for an end to indoor dining in all red zones — including Hamilton — as well as a ban on any other maskless indoor activities with nonhousehold members.
“Certainly dining has been one of the ones that has been of concern,” said Richardson while praising other changes in the framework. “That is a situation where people are taking off their masks and are sitting together ... We very much advise people if you are going to go out and dine, this should really be something that you are doing just with your household members.”
One of the main causes for Richardson’s concern is the weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 population rising to 51 on Tuesday from 32 on Feb. 14.
The city also has 21 ongoing outbreaks, with a new one declared Feb. 21 at St. Elizabeth Retirement Residence after one resident tested positive.
A large and deadly outbreak at the Meadows long-term-care home in Ancaster came to an end Feb. 22 after 52 were infected and nine died since Dec. 16.
Also over is the outbreak on the fifth floor of the Satellite Health Facility at 150 King St. E. in Effort Square, where 20 were infected and two died from Feb. 3 to Feb. 23.