This Milton neighbourhood has one of the highest COVID-19 percent positivity rates in Ontario

 

One Milton neighbourhood has one of the highest COVID-19 percent positivity rates (percentage of positive COVID-19 tests in the area) in Ontario, according to Toronto-based research group ICES.

ICES provided an overview of the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of individuals in Ontario who tested and confirmed positive for COVID-19 during the week of January 10 to 16.

From January 10 to 16, the Milton area with postal code beginning with L9E (area of Britannia Rd and Bronte St South) had one the highest percent positivity rates at 13.4% — the only Halton neighbourhood in Ontario’s top 50.

According to ICES' data, Halton had the ninth highest percent positivity (4.5%) out of all of Ontario's 34 Public Health Units. Ontario's overall percent positivity was 5.4%.

"The percent positivity was relatively lower among persons living in long-term care homes (4.5%), compared to those not living in long-term care (5.5%)," ICES said.

"Twelve FSAs (forward sortation areas) had 15% positivity or greater (within Toronto, Peel, and York), representing a decrease in the number of high-positivity FSAs compared to the week of January 3 (during which twenty four FSAs had greater than 15% positivity). Numerous high-positivity FSAs (L5W, L6W, L6Y, L4T, N4W, M6M, M1C, L4Z, N8H, MU, L4L, M2J, M2R) were also experiencing outbreaks in long-term care homes."

ICES says percent positivity increased among children over the course of December, but these changes did not always correlate with changes in incidence, likely due in part to decreased testing rates.

Testing rates decreased over the course of December for all age groups, especially for children aged 2-13 years.

The full data is available to read here.

Images courtesy of ICES