Hamilton tightens restrictions as COVID-19 cases climb
- Michael Kras
- 03 Oct 2020
As new confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to spike all across the city and province, the City of Hamilton is tightening some restrictions in the interest of public health & safety.
The city’s medical officer of health, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, is echoing Premier Doug Ford’s announcement and recommending that locals pull back on the previously-instated 10-person social bubbles, which have allowed residents to have up to 10 people in their circle who collectively agree to socialize with each other – and only each other – in close proximity.
Instead, Dr. Richardson is recommending that locals, for now, limit close social contact to those within their immediate households due to COVID-19 trends indicating that the primary mode of spread for this virus is within private social gatherings that don’t feature mask-wearing or proper physical distancing.
With cases of COVID-19 on the rise in #HamOnt and across Ontario, Hamilton’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, is echoing the announcement made by Premier Doug Ford earlier today and recommending that residents move away from the concept of the “social circle”
— City of Hamilton (@cityofhamilton) October 2, 2020
“With businesses and schools reopening, and many residents returning to work, the concept of a social circle no longer reflects the reality of our daily lives, and are hard for individuals and families to stick to,” reads a statement from the City of Hamilton.
“It’s important for people to carefully consider what kind of activities they are engaging in right now. Limiting your close social interactions to those who are within your household is the best way to limit the spread of COVID-19.”
The province-wide limits on social gatherings with physical distancing in place remain the same, with a maximum of 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors for unstaffed private gatherings as long as attendees can easily maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from others.
Locals are also strongly advised to keep adhering diligently to the usual COVID-19 health and safety measures, including staying home whenever possible, not gathering in large groups, washing your hands frequently, practising physical distancing, wearing a mask or face covering in public spaces, and staying home when you feel sick.
“The additional safety measures announced by the Premier are important, timely and strongly supported by the City of Hamilton,” adds Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger in a statement.
“While the province announced targeted measures for our neighbours in Ottawa, Peel, and Toronto as a result of their higher than average rates of transmission, communities including Hamilton are trending in the same direction. Our Public Health teams have observed trends in COVID-19 spread among those who are having social gatherings, not practicing appropriate physical distancing and not wearing masks indoors or in other settings where physical distancing is a challenge.”
Yesterday, Hamilton added 11 new confirmed COVID-19 cases to its total, leaving the city with 103 known active cases of the virus and an overall total of 1,177 confirmed cases since the pandemic first hit the city.
Read more on the City of Hamilton website.
Lead image courtesy of @hamontsalsa
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