157 new virus cases; test positivity rate jumps
Suspicious fire at Mountain testing facility forces rescheduling of appointments; one new outbreak recorded
Hamilton’s per capita COVID-19 case rate reached a new high Sunday, as the city recorded 157 new COVID-19 cases.
The per capita rate climbed up to 202 new cases per 100,000 population weekly, surpassing Saturday’s high of 197.
The province saw 4,250 new cases and 18 fatalities, though no deaths were recorded in Hamilton.
Hamilton’s test positivity rate also jumped to 7.4 per cent, up from 5.6 per cent Saturday, surpassing the city’s previous high of six per cent over a span of days in January.
St. Joseph’s Mountain COVID-19 testing centre at Mohawk College reopened Sunday after it had to unexpectedly cancel all appointments Saturday due to a suspicious fire in the facility.
Security personnel found a broken window and a small fire in a desk area.
St. Joseph’s added extra hours to other facilities Saturday to accommodate 300 of 500 total tests affected by the Mohawk College closure, and booked a remaining 180 Sunday, spokesperson Natasha Voogd confirmed.
One new outbreak was reported Sunday, a single staff case at Hatts Off Inc.’s east Mountain supportive housing facility. The city’s total stayed at 40, as the outbreak at Mission Services overflow shelter was declared over.
As the alarming data continues to
The city’s active cases continue to climb; public health reported 1,400 Sunday, a high since mid-January.
mount in Hamilton and other COVID-19 hot spots, the provincial government clambered late Saturday afternoon to reverse its decision to close parks, following public outcry, and to “clarify” the use of expanded police powers for pandemic safety enforcement.
The solicitor general’s office said in a statement late Saturday that the enforcement powers would be targeted to violations for gathering in crowds.
This came in response to criticism that the government would give police the power to conduct random street checks on individuals.
The city’s active cases continue to climb; public health reported 1,400 Sunday, a high since mid-January.
Since the pandemic began, there have been 15,303 cases of COVID -19 in Hamilton and 1,115 people have been hospitalized with the virus.