Hamilton COVID outbreaks reach 16 as SpinCo fallout rises to 85 people
A “Hamilton-based basketball club” is reported as one of two new COVID-19 outbreaks in the city as the SpinCo outbreak continues to grow.
Hamilton public health posted on its website Friday that a “Hamilton-based basketball club” outbreak declared Wednesday involves four “patrons.” Public health says there is no risk to the public.
Meanwhile, the SpinCo outbreak was up to 85 people Friday, with four new riders testing positive. The outbreak was declared Oct. 5 and now involves 52 riders, two staff and 31 “secondary” cases.
The second new outbreak is at Chartwell Willowgrove long-term-care home, where one staff member has tested positive.
A Hamilton GO station front-line worker who last worked Oct. 18 has tested positive. Metrolinx says they “consistently wore a face covering and gloves while working and kept a safe distance from other staff and customers.” The staffer doesn’t appear to have caught the virus at work.
At the John Sopinka Courthouse, an employee who was last in the courthouse Oct. 19 has tested positive, the Ministry of the Attorney General confirms.
“The individual, who was asymptomatic, was wearing a face covering and followed physical distancing protocols while in the courthouse,” said Brian Gray, a ministry spokesperson.
A Canada Post employee who works at a sorting facility in Ancaster who was asymptomatic and last worked on Oct. 16 has tested positive, Canada Post says.
There are three new cases in students in Hamilton schools including one at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School, one at Highview Elementary School and one at Dundas Valley Secondary School.
The outbreak at Kushies Baby, a local manufacturer, is now over. Three staff had tested positive.
There are now 16 active outbreaks in the city. Most involve just one or two cases. Outbreaks are declared when there are two positive cases and evidence exists of transmission within a setting. The threshold for long-termcare home outbreaks, however, is just one case.
Public health reported 15 new cases of COVID-19 in the city Friday, bringing the total number of active cases to 152. The cumulative case count is 1,631 cases with 88 per cent, or 1,429 cases, now considered resolved. There have been 48 deaths and 162 hospitalizations in total.