LATEST: Hamilton residents reminded that playground structures remain closed

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Published July 3, 2020 at 8:05 pm

Hamilton residents are being told to “knock it off,” when it comes to removing caution tape and signage on the City’s playgrounds.

Hamilton residents are being told to “knock it off,” when it comes to removing caution tape and signage on the City’s playgrounds.

At Friday’s virtual media briefing, the director of Hamilton’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), Paul Johnson echoed his words from months ago when he had to ask people to stop removing caution tape from escarpment stairs.

Johnson said he wanted to make clear that the playground structures remain closed and the removal of the tape and signage could be dangerous.

People, he said, are already unsure what they can and can’t be doing as we move along in the process of reopening and the signs and tape serve as a visible reminder that playgrounds are still off-limits.

“The province is still working on how these can be reopened safely,” he said, noting that it will take time to come to a conclusion because disinfecting play structures presents a number of challenges.

“I would really hate to see children and families use these structures unwittingly,” Johnson said.

Mayor Fred Eisenberger also announced that waterfalls and their associated parking lots will be opening again on July 15 with the exception of Tews, Websters and Dundas Peak.

As of Friday, the City of Hamilton is reporting one new case of COVID-19 in the community since Tuesday.

There have been 843 people in Hamilton who have contracted the virus since it was first reported here in mid-March — 835 have been confirmed and eight cases are considered probable.

Hamilton’s death toll remains 44, a number that has not gone up since early last week.

Of local cases, 752 have been resolved, accounting for approximately 89 per cent of Hamilton’s overall cases.

There are three people being treated for the virus in Hamilton hospitals at the moment.

Meanwhile, Ontario reported 165 new cases of COVID-19 and two new deaths related to the novel coronavirus Friday.

The total number of cases now stands at 35,535, which includes 30,909 marked as resolved and 2,682 deaths.

The province reported 179 resolved cases over the previous day.

The province completed more than 24,194 tests for the novel coronavirus over the previous 24 hours.

— with a file from The Canadian Press

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