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Tag: Hamilton

Ontario dropped wastewater testing early, with no plan for feds to step in: documents

The Ontario government abruptly ended its wastewater surveillance program earlier than planned this summer, despite having funding in place until the end of September and being warned that the move could leave gaps in crucial information for public health, internal documents indicate.

The government pulled the plug at the end of July on the globally praised program that, at its peak, covered about 75 per cent of the province.

The program, overseen by the Ministry of the Environment, provided an early warning signal to health officials about the spread of COVID-19, influenza, RSV and other infectious diseases, based on wastewater testing.

Documents obtained through access to information by the Ottawa Citizen indicate that the province’s hasty decision last spring to end the program came before Ontario’s Ministry of Health had even begun negotiations with the federal government about taking over wastewater surveillance.

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Why do we have to keep getting COVID?

Flannery Dean is a writer and editor based in Hamilton.

Nearly five years into life with COVID-19, I find myself selfishly wondering how many more times I – by which I mean, all of us – need to get it before we acknowledge that allowing multiple reinfections poses a very large problem? I thought my second bout of it (or was it my third?) in February, 2023, was tough – that one set me back a few months. But this nasty little bug, which is again surging here, there and everywhere, has bitten me once again, and has been a beast to overcome.

My latest infection – which began in June and is mild by medical standards – surprised me. I’m an active, healthy woman in her 40s. In addition to having been infected previously, I’ve gratefully received every single vaccine offered, including the booster shot only about 18 per cent of Canadians got last fall. I’m not sure I blame those who didn’t rush out in droves to get it. There was little public push to do so, and a general sense that infection after vaccination was okay so long as you’re “healthy.” Continued protection against a virus that makes swift and powerful adaptations is a hard sell when you don’t invest in the power of prevention, too.

Even so, after the fever passed, I spent a month largely confined to my bed, unable to do more than shuffle to my doctor’s office and back. I felt weak and nauseated in a way that made pregnancy queasiness seem quaint. My muscles felt tired or tingling or cold, or all three at once. I was regularly overcome by a sensation that I can only describe as a full-body panic attack, marked by a racing heart and rapid breathing. For weeks, I felt like my internal circuitry was on the fritz. Even my vision was blurred.

It remains so.

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Ontario sees first measles death in more than a decade after young child dies

A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.

The child, who was under the age of five, was not immunized against the virus, according to the report, which was published on Thursday.

The report also confirms this is the first measles death in the province in more than a decade.

Public Health Ontario says that there have been 22 confirmed cases of measles reported in the province in 2024. Of those individuals, 13 were children and nine were adults. Four of the adults were previously immunized, two were unimmunized, and two had an unknown immunization status.

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Hamilton launching spring COVID-19 vaccination campaign

Hamiltonians at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 infection are eligible for vaccination this spring.

In an April 19 news release, Hamilton public health services announced it’s joining forces with the Ontario Ministry of Health to administer vaccine doses to high-risk community members.

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“Short-sighted and dangerous” – Public Health Ontario Lab workers are sounding the alarm about potential lab closures

TORONTO, April 17, 2024 – OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick and members working at Public Health Ontario (PHO) Labs were at Queen’s Park today to sound the alarm about the potential closure of six (6) out of 11 PHO labs in Ontario, and the risk it poses for all Ontarians – especially rural families and communities.

“If the last few years have taught us anything, it is that public health should never be taken for granted,” said Hornick. “Like many choices made by this government, if Premier Ford decides to shutter the doors of these 6 labs it will be short-sighted and dangerous.”

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HHS closes urgent care for two days amid staff shortages, congestion at hospitals

Staffing shortages will close a Hamilton urgent care centre for two days at the same time city emergency departments are becoming increasingly congested with flu, COVID-19 and RSV patients.

With just 13 per cent of Hamiltonians getting a COVID shot in the past six months, local hospitals are bracing for the viral surge to continue climbing over the holidays.

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Ontario: Keep masks in healthcare!

📣 Let hospital CEOs and MPPs know you want universal masking with respirators in Ontario hospitals

✉️ Send letters to voice your support for universal masking with respirators in hospitals. You can use your own email software to send the letters.

Why take action? SARS-CoV-2 is an airborne, level 3 pathogen. We need universal masking with respirators to prevent COVID-induced health issues, including long COVID, cognitive issues, and cardiovascular diseases.

Please take a moment to voice your support for universal masking with respirators in Ontario hospitals!

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Influenza, COVID-19 vaccines available for all Hamilton residents aged 6 months and up

All Hamilton residents six months of age and over can now access flu and COVID-19 vaccines through participating local pharmacies, primary care and community partners and city run vaccine clinics, Hamilton Public Health Services (HPHS) says.

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St. Joe’s, Hamilton Health Sciences to reinstate mandatory masking for staff

Staff at both of Hamilton’s hospital networks will be required to wear masks when facing patients starting this week.

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Mandatory masking is back for staff at several Ontario hospitals

Several Ontario hospitals are bringing back mask mandates for staff with COVID-19 cases on the rise once again – a clear sign the province has entered a new wave, an expert explains.

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