Active COVID-19 cases in Hamilton drops below 10K as death toll climbs

Hamilton | COVID |

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Published January 27, 2022 at 2:26 pm

Hamilton is reporting three new COVID-19 related deaths on Thursday (Jan. 27) bringing the local death toll to 471.

Hamilton Public Health Services (HPHS) data posted on the City of Hamilton website, is showing 252 newly confirmed cases on Thursday.

There are 9,687 active cases of the virus in the community at the moment, which is the first time this week that number has fallen below 10,000, and 60 active outbreaks.

The city’s website, though, warns that the data does not fully reflect COVID-19 activity in the community as testing criteria has changed.

As of Thursday, there are 78 people in local hospitals with COVID-19 (up from 76 the day previous) who were sent to hospital because of the virus, of which 12 are in local ICUs.

Hamilton hospitals

Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) is reporting that 126 patients currently admitted to their hospitals for other reasons have tested positive for COVID-19 and there is a total of 25 people in HHS ICUs with the virus (up from 23 since the day previous).

The health-care provider also reports that 317 of its employees are currently self-isolating (down from 324 in the last 24 hours) and its ICU capacity sits at 97 per cent (down from 100 per cent reported on Tuesday).

St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton is reporting that 71 people are being treated for COVID-19 related complications (up from 68 the day previous) of which 13 are in ICU.

There are currently 115 staff and physicians from St. Joe’s (down from 164 the day prior) who are self-isolating and ICU occupancy sits at 100 per cent.

Ontario numbers

Across the province, there are 3,645 people reported to be in hospitals as of Thursday with COVID-19, and 599 in ICU. That’s down from 4,016 people hospitalized and 608 in intensive care units the previous day.

The province also reported 70 more deaths due to the virus.

There were 5,852 more COVID-19 cases reported Thursday, but Public Health Ontario has said the real case count is likely higher because of changes to the province’s testing policy.

Fifty-seven per cent of the province’s long-term care homes are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.

Ontario isn’t reporting data on COVID-19 cases in schools, but there were seven schools closed because of COVID-19 operational impacts and 370 schools with student and staff absence rates of 30 per cent or higher.

— with a file from The Canadian Press

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