Hamilton focuses on apartment building cleanliness after highrise outbreaks

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Published June 14, 2021 at 11:45 pm

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The City of Hamilton is considering tighter enforcement of cleaning requirements for apartment buildings after COVID-19 outbreaks in three highrises last month.

At the city’s board of health meeting on Monday, Ward 2 City Councillor Jason Farr and Ward 3 Councillor Nrinder Nann motioned that city staff check on whether COVID-19 related requirements are being observed. City staff would be expected to report back at the board of health committee’s next meeting in three weeks.

Over 225 residents contracted COVID-19 last month in three separate outbreaks related to highrises. The worst was at Rebecca Towers (235 Rebecca St.), where 110 people developed COVID-19 and there was one death. That outbreak lasted for 24 days.

There were at least 74 cases at The Village Apartments on Queen St. N., and 45 in an outbreak at Wellington Place apartments (125 Wellington St. N./50 Cathcart St.). 

The requirements include making sure that building staff are given proper personal protected equipment (PPE), that hand sanitizer is placed in common areas and that a cleaning schedule is posted for residents.

The committee also received a breakdown from Hamilton Public Health Services on COVID-19 statistics in Hamilton within three phases of the third wave. Hamilton had more COVID-19 cases during the third wave than in the first two combined.

Between Feb. 17 and April 10, and again from May 8 to June, infections were most commonly due to direct contact with other known cases of COVID-19 and undetermined sources.

The next board of health committee is slated for July 7.

(Images via Jason Farr.)

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