Brampton is now seeing nearly three times as many new COVID-19 cases per week compared to Toronto on a per capita basis and though the rise in infections has slowed since Peel was placed in a lockdown last month, but the region’s top public health official says that numbers “are still going in the wrong direction.”
Over the last week Peel Region as a whole has reported 198 new cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents, which is the highest rate in Ontario.
Case volumes, however, continue to be higher in Brampton and at a briefing on Wednesday Peel’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Lawrence Loh said that the weekly rate in that city is “holding steady” at about 300 new cases per 100,000 residents with a positivity rate of 13 per cent.
To put that number in perspective, it is nearly three times the per 100,000 infection rate in Toronto (119.9), which is also under a lockdown.
“I am deeply concerned about the continuing and increasing hospitalizations and severity that we are seeing in our community and while there is excitement about a viable vaccine I am deeply concerned about the growing apathy and anger towards the measures designed to bring COVID-19 back under control,” Loh said. “It seems that while avoiding the worst case scenario has spared many from the trauma of COVID-19 we are forgetting that others in the community have and continue to see the worst of this virus.”
Public health officials have previously said that the rate of infection in Brampton has been higher than other areas of Peel because of the large number of essential workers in the city.
The high case counts have begun to overwhelm hospitals in the region with the William Osler Health System now caring for 80 COVID-19 patients, including 13 in intensive care.
Speaking with reporters at Wednesday’s briefing, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said that while a “vaccine is a sign of hope” there are still “key tools” that residents in his city need to help limit transmission of the virus in the interim, most importantly paid sick days.
“For a city that is in a lockdown the majority of our workers are still going to work every day because they are essential workers. If I look at our warehouses, the transportation logistics centre, food processing there are tools that could help us slow the spread,” he said. “Dr. Loh and myself have been outspoken about the need for paid sick days. I find it infuriating that here we are so far into the pandemic and we still have workers going to work with symptoms because they can’t afford to miss a pay check because they have to put food on the table or pay rent. Paid sick days are a critical tool we need for our vulnerable essential workers. Some companies have done this on their own but it needs to be across the board.”
According to Loh, the rise in new cases in Brampton and Peel as a whole has started to slow since the region was placed under a lockdown on Nov. 23 but he said that cases have not yet plateaued.
In fact, the weekly incidence rate in Peel rose 5.9 per cent between Nov. 28 and Dec. 4.
“We have to remember of course that this disease moves in two week increments so we have only gotten one incubation period in with the grey lockdown. We need a little more time just to sort of figure things out and make sure that things are trending in the right way,” Loh said when asked if he would be supportive of extending the 28-day lockdown, currently set to expire on Dec. 21. “Either way I think the advice is going to be the same for the holiday season and you have heard it from the premier loud and clear. To the extent possible you want to make sure that you are limiting your close contacts and celebrations to the people you already live with.”
