Hamilton will move into the Red Zone for at least 28 days on Monday

As a surprise move, the province announced on Friday that Hamilton was raising two steps in the range of color-coded COVID limits on Monday.

At a Queens Park news conference, Health Minister Christine Elliott said the city of Hamilton was effective Monday in areas that would be transformed from a “yellow, protect” phase to a “red, control” phase.

In the Red Zone, residents are asked to stay at home, go out only for what they need, attend school, work or medical appointments, or exercise. People are asked to work from home if possible.

The red is one foot away from the full lockdown.

“We are looking at the barrel of another lockdown,” Premier Doug Ford warned at a news conference. “We cannot be complacent. We must fight, we must continue to fight. Please do not lose hope. ”

The province is also lowering restrictions on all color-coded phases, making it easier for provinces to move areas into more restricted zones. It comes in a background Toronto Star The province reportedly did not listen to the advice of its own public health agency when implementing the new color-coded framework.

Hamilton will be in the Red Zone for at least 28 days.

In a media update late Friday, Hamilton Health Medical Officer Dr Elizabeth Richardson reiterated that people should stay home as long as possible.

“If we don’t get control over this we will go into lockdown,” she said.

In the Red Zone, indoor dining is still permitted in restaurants, but the maximum number of patrons allowed inside the home is 10. The last call for alcohol is 9pm and companies must close at 10pm. Only four sit together. Dancing and singing are prohibited. The patios are open and the takeout is a meal option.

When asked how residents could reconcile the province’s message of staying at home with the fact restaurants and bars, Richardson said people need to choose for themselves.

Gyms can be open but with strict regulations. A maximum of 10 people is allowed in an area with exercise equipment or weights. Only 10 people can attend an indoor fitness class, if 25 people are outside. Those who go to the gym are only inside for a maximum of 90 minutes.

All sports and recreational activities at facilities such as the arena are limited to 10 people inside the house and 25 outdoors. Sports teams are only allowed to collect for training purposes, no games or screams should be played.

More information on how the sanctions will affect Hamilton will be posted on the city’s website over the weekend.

Ford warned at a news conference that even tougher sanctions could come soon. Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer, called for the sanctions to be enforced for just one week, as they are currently in a color – coded framework.

New restrictions

Prior to Friday, the entry limit to the Red Zone was 100 cases per 100,000 population per week and the lab test passivity rate was 10 percent. On Friday, it was reduced to 40 cases per 100,000 population and the positivity rate threshold to 2.5 percent. There are also limitations Adjusted for green, yellow and orange phases.

In Hamilton, the weekly infection rate was 52 and the percentage was 3.0.

In the Red Zone, Hamilton joined four other regions – Halton, Toronto, Peel and York.

Active cases and prevalence of COVID

Hamilton exceeds 400 active COVID-19 Friday first time cases. There are also two new outposts in the city; One at the flooring store and the other at the insurance company.

There is also a new death. A woman in her late 80s who lived in a Chartwell Willowgrove long-term care home in Ancaster died Wednesday, the eighth resident to die in the outbreak. She was traveling Hamilton’s 60th COVID death.

The prevalence in seniors ’homes continues to grow. There were 11 active outbreaks in the homes of seniors, of which eight residents died in Chartwell Willowgrove and 38 residents and 24 staff were ill. Other growing outbreaks include the Baywoods Place long-term care home in central Hamilton, where 15 residents and 12 staff are ill; St. Joseph Villa Long-Term Care Home, North Tower in Dundas‌ with 22 residents and 13 staff sick; And the Hamilton Continuing Care long-term care home in central Hamilton, where 15 residents and 12 staff are ill.

The new range includes Jonathan’s Peron floor coverings, where Red Hill and Link meet. Two staff members were ill.

Another spread is at Meridian Credit Union at 259 Hamilton Regional Rd. Three crew members were taken ill at Stony Creek.

There were 46 new cases, 402 active cases and 2,341 total cases, of which 80 per cent or 1,877 cases were resolved. A total of 185 people, or eight per cent of all cases, have been hospitalized since March, with 19 hospitalized on Friday.

Hamilton’s reproductive rate, i.e., the rate at which a sick person can infect others is 1.23.