COVID-19: Outbreak declared at local church as Hamilton’s death toll climbs

Hamilton | Ontario | COVID | Latest News |

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Published October 22, 2020 at 3:54 pm

Three congregants of an East Hamilton church have tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the city’s Public Health Services (PHS) to declare an outbreak.

Restoration Full Gospel Church is one of two newly declared outbreaks in Hamilton on Thursday (Oct. 22).

The other was declared at Wentworth Lodge where one staff member has tested positive. There are now 15 active outbreaks in the community at the moment.

PHS has also confirmed Thursday that a man in his late 70s passed away in hospital on October 20 making him the city’s 48th COVID-19-related death since March.

Daily case count

There are 31 newly confirmed cases of the virus in Hamilton on Thursday, bringing the city’s total number of COVID-19 cases to 1,616.

The number of resolved cases is up to 1,400, accounting for approximately 87 per cent of local cases.

According to the city’s COVID website, there are believed to be 166 active cases in the community at the moment.

New assessment centre to open

Hamilton’s assessment centres have passed a significant milestone as of Thursday, reporting that they have completed 100,286 COVID-19 tests.

This comes as Hamilton’s newest assessment centre, located on the Mohawk College campus, is set to open on Friday (Oct. 23).

The new testing location will be staffed by St. Joseph`s Healthcare Hamilton and will operate seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It replaces the centre currently operating out of St. Joe’s West 5th location, which will close by the end of the day on Thursday.

Ontario COVID numbers

Meanwhile, Ontario is reporting 841 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, and nine new deaths due to the virus.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says 335 cases are in Toronto, 162 in Peel Region, 106 in York Region and 72 in Ottawa.

The province says it conducted 38,860 tests since the last daily report, with an additional 34,784 tests being processed.

In total, 270 people are hospitalized in Ontario due to COVID-19, including 74 in intensive care.

— with a file and photo from The Canadian Press

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