COVID-19 deaths continue to increase

Although COVID-19 will likely continue to claim lives in Niagara for a few more weeks, Niagara’s acting medical officer of health, Dr. Mustafa Hirji, says the virus is showing signs of slowing down in the region.

Niagara Region Public Health increased its COVID-19 death toll to 556 Thursday, while Niagara Health reported the death of another patient who had tested positive for the virus.

Hirji said, however, there “is definitely some good news” regarding declining infection in the community, indicated by the percentage of tests that are positive and the level of COVID-19 found in wastewater.

“It does look like we may actually be on the downward side of this wave, finally,” he said.

Public heath reported 1,027 known active cases Thursday, down from 1,056 Wednesday; while Niagara Health reported 47 having patients who had tested positive for the virus, including one in intensive care — a little more than half the number of patients with the virus reported a week ago.

Hirji said the deaths now being reported are likely the result of infections that occurred “two to three weeks ago, when we were still in the upswing of this wave.”

“COVID-19 remains a very deadly illness. Thanks to vaccinations it’s much less deadly than it has been in the past, and we can have a lot more spread in the community and not see nearly as many deaths, but that doesn’t mean the deaths are going to be zero.”

Although waning infection provides opportunity for public health to refocus efforts on ramping up programs deferred by the pandemic, Hirji said provincial funding has not been provided to support those efforts.

Hirji said public health submitted a request for $2.04 million to cover the cost, that would have allowed additional staff to be brought on board to help run those clinics.