Some communities around Hamilton haven't had a new COVID-19 case in 3 days

Flattening the curve has been so successful that two areas around Hamilton — Brant and Haldimand-Norfolk — haven't had a new case of COVID-19 in three days, and Burlington has only had two.

The Brant County Health Unit, which includes Brantford, has reported 99 cases since the weekend. The Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit has been at 196 cases for just as long. Neither area has seen a new death in days, and no one has died in two weeks at Anson Place Care Centre in Hagersville, which had one of the worst outbreaks in the province.

Burlington, meanwhile, has 110 confirmed cases after being at the 108-case mark for two days. 

Two more people died in Hamilton on May 4 — an 81-year-old resident of Cardinal Retirement Residence, and an 83-year-old patient at St. Peter's Hospital. Twenty-three people have died from COVID-19 in the city.

Hamilton has eight more cases Wednesday compared to the day before, with 462 confirmed and six probable. That's about on par with the day-over-day increases Hamilton Public Health Services has seen lately, says Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, medical officer of health. 

"We've been going along with the small numbers of under 10 cases for the last little while," Richardson said during the city's weekly COVID-19 town hall Wednesday.

"It's quite clear that that curve is flattening, that we're seeing good news, and that's because of the work that's gone on by all residents in Hamilton."

These new cases come as every health unit expands testing of residents and staff in long-term care homes. Hamilton Public Health Services has done 56 per cent of that "point-in-time" testing already, Richardson said, and will complete it by the end of next week. 

That will lead to more institutional outbreaks, since only one resident or staff member has to test positive for public health to declare an outbreak. There are 12 outbreaks right now, which are as follows: 

• Wentworth Lodge.
• Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre.
• Barrett Centre for Crisis Support.
• Heritage Green Nursing Home.
• St. Elizabeth's Villa.
• Grace Villa.
• St. Joseph's Villa.
• St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton's Charlton and West 5th campuses.
• St. Peter's Hospital.
• Dundurn Place.
• Wesley Supportive Housing.
• A Mission Services women's shelter. 

Sixty-five per cent of Hamilton's COVID-19 patients have recovered, or 306 people. There are nine people in hospital at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, and 16 at Hamilton Health Sciences.

Here's what's happening elsewhere:

Brant

Brant/Brantford still has 99 cases, of which 78 have recovered. Five people are in hospital and three have died.

There are outbreaks at Brierwood Gardens Retirement Home in Brantford (one staff), Telfer Place in Paris (one resident), and St. Joseph's Lifecare Centre in Brantford (two staff).

Haldimand-Norfolk

Haldimand-Norfolk has 196 cases, of which 56 have recovered and 30 have died. Twenty-seven of those deaths have been at Anson Place Care Centre.

Anson Place still has 28 COVID-19 cases in its long-term care home and 17 in its retirement home, says executive director Lisa Roth. 

"Since yesterday's update, I have no changes to report regarding the impact of COVID-19 on Anson Place Care Centre," she wrote. All of the residents are being retested, she said, and the care centre plans an update once the health unit confirms the residents have two consecutive negative tests results. 

Halton

Halton has 562 cases, of which 500 are confirmed and 62 are probable. That's an increase of 20 cases since Tuesday. There are 409 recoveries, up seven from Tuesday, and one person has died, bringing the death toll to 23. 

In Burlington, there are 110 cases, of which 95 are confirmed and 15 are probable. Seven people have died and 80 have recovered. 

The Village of Tansley Woods has an outbreak, minus the Emma Home area, but no resident are infected.

Niagara

Niagara has 540 confirmed cases, which is up from 529 on Tuesday and 523 on Monday. Of those, 345 have recovered, 53 have died and 142 are still active.

That's one more death than reported on Tuesday. 

There are outbreaks at Niagara Health's Greater Niagara General and St. Catharines sites, Henley House in St. Catharines, Lundy Manor in Niagara Falls and Royal Rose Place and Seasons Welland in Welland.