Hamilton reports 395 new COVID-19 cases as local ICUs reach capacity

Hamilton | COVID |

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Published January 13, 2022 at 12:59 pm

Hamilton reported 395 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on Thursday (Jan. 13) as local ICUs reach their capacity limits.

The number of active cases in the community has risen to 9,892 and there are currently 94 active outbreaks.

Hamilton Health Sciences

Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) reports that 207 people are being treated at its hospitals for COVID-19, up from 186 the day prior. There are 23 individuals being treated in HHS intensive care units (ICU) compared to 20 reported on Wednesday.

Hamilton General Hospital is at 104 per cent occupancy — up from 102 per cent on Wednesday. Juravinski Hospital is at 117 per cent occupancy, up from 115 per cent the day previous.

HHS is reporting that 558 staff are self-isolating, compared to 501 on Wednesday.

Ninety-eight per cent of HHS employees are fully vaccinated and 14 individuals have had their employment terminated for not following vaccination guidelines.

St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton

St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton is reporting that 91 people are being treated for COVID-19, up from 87 the day previous at its hospital, fifteen of which are in ICU.

St. Joe’s hospital occupancy has risen to 90 per cent and ICU occupancy is 100 per cent as of Thursday.

There are currently 277 St. Joe’s employees self-isolating, up from 265 the day prior.

Data shows that 97.9 per cent of the staff at St. Joe’s is fully vaccinated while three individuals are currently on unpaid leave for violating vaccination guidelines.

City of Hamilton vaccination numbers

As of Thursday, 80.4 per cent of eligible Hamiltonians are fully vaccinated, with 85.6 per cent receiving at least one dose.

Unvaccinated Hamilton residents are being infected at 1.7 times the rate as the vaccinated, according to City data collected from Aug. 18, 2021, to now. The unvaccinated have also been 8.3 times more likely to be hospitalized and 12.4 times more likely to be admitted to the ICU. The risk of death among the unvaccinated is 6.7 times higher than it is for the fully vaccinated in Hamilton.

Provincial COVID-19 numbers

Meanwhile, Ontario is reporting 3,630 people are now in hospitals across the province testing positive for COVID-19, a jump from 3,448 on Wednesday.

As of Thursday, 500 people in intensive care units, down from 505 on Wednesday.

The province also reported that of the 3,630 people hospitalized, approximately 54 per cent are seeking care due to COVID-19, while the remaining 46 per cent were admitted to the hospital for unrelated reasons and are now testing positive for the virus.

Ontario also reported 9,909 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, but health officials have cautioned that is an underestimate due to testing limitations and backlogs. The province also recorded 35 more COVID-19-related deaths.

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