11 new cases of COVID-19 in Hamilton, but number of outbreaks has dropped

Hamilton | Ontario | COVID | Latest News |

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Published May 22, 2020 at 8:07 pm

Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger, during a virtual media briefing on Friday, said that a plan for reopening the city will be under review at next Wednesday’s (May 27) council meeting.

Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger, during a virtual media briefing on Friday, said that a plan for reopening the city will be under review at next Wednesday’s (May 27) council meeting.

“This does not mean we’ll be reopening everything right away,” he cautioned, adding that if approved, the plan would be implemented only when it was deemed safe to move forward with lifting restrictions.

The plan was devised by City staff in consultation with Hamilton’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) but has yet to receive the final stamp of approval from the Public Health Service.

Eisenberger also noted a number of new openings that went into effect on Friday (May 22). Skate parks, tennis courts and pickleball courts are now open.

Golf courses have also been opening up over the last week and some more are expected to come online in the next couple of days.

Users of the parks, courts and courses, Eisenberger said, are expected to adhere to physical distancing measures.

The City of Hamilton is reporting there are 613 cases of COVID-19 in the community as of Friday, up by 11 from Thursday’s reporting.

According to the numbers provided on the city’s COVID-19 website, 606 cases have been confirmed and seven are presumptive.

Hamilton’s death toll remains at 30.

In a bit of good news in Hamilton’s battle against the virus, the number of active outbreaks at local long-term care facilities is down to six.

Also, of Hamilton’s overall cases, 415 have been resolved, or 68 per cent of the city’s cases.

There are currently 67 people being treated for the virus in Hamilton hospitals.

Ontario reported 441 new cases Friday, and 28 more deaths. That brings the provincial total to 24,628, which is an increase of 1.8 per cent over the previous day’s total.

Ontario’s growth rate in cases has steadily hovered between 1.5 and 1.9 per cent for 12 of the past 13 days.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams has said the numbers are in a plateau and called it disappointing.

Ontario’s total includes 2,021 deaths and 18,767 cases that have been resolved.

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