The mayor of Hamilton says he believes a lockdown in the city is likely “inevitable” as COVID-19 cases continue to climb in the region.

Fred Eisenberger, who has served as the mayor of Hamilton since 2014, said discussions are currently underway between the local medical officer of health and her provincial counterpart about what further steps need to be taken to slow the spread of the virus in the city.

“They will collectively make a recommendation to the premier and cabinet and they'll make a decision,”Eisenberger said.

Hamilton reported 99 new cases of the virus today, along with another 134 on Monday, and Eisenberger noted that the region has reached the same provincial threshold as other areas that have been placed in lockdown.

The most recent data available from the province suggests that Hamilton has a weekly incidence rate of 97.3 new cases per 100,000 people, which is the highest of any Ontario region not currently under a lockdown.

“Windsor-Essex is locked down now, York is also locked down,” he said. “If I were the premier and others, if I'm going to be consistent, you would think that a lockdown in Hamilton is inevitable.”

Hamilton is in the red zone of the province’s reopening framework, which allows many businesses to continue to offer in-person shopping at non-essential stores and indoor dining at restaurants and bars.

Last week, Hamilton’s medical officer of health issued an order requiring that stores and shopping malls enforce lower capacity limits and screen customers for COVID-19 symptoms at their entrances.

Despite the strict new rules, a Hamilton shopping mall decided to extend its hours for the holiday season.

In a statement provided to CP24, Cadillac Fairview said that it decided to extend the shopping hours at CF Lime Ridge as part of a wider effort to encourage consumers to “shop during non-peak hours throughout the week to help spread out traffic in the centre.”

To support this new mandate around occupancy levels, Cadillac Fairview is working with its retail clients to ensure compliance and is encouraging consumers to shop during non-peak hours throughout the week to help spread out traffic in the centre,” Cadillac Fairview said in the statement provided to CP24. “We recently extended our operating hours at CF Lime Ridge to allow shoppers more time to shop throughout the holiday season. We will continue to have additional staff and security presence at our centres to help manage capacity requirements.”

The extended hours will see the mall remain open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week through Dec. 23.

Eisenberger said extending mall hours does not help to support the message public health officials have been trying to drive home.

“Stay home, only go out for essential shopping. Unfortunately, right now, Christmas shopping isn't considered to be essential. And hopping from one region to another certainly adds to the congestions in other places that we are trying to discourage,” he said.

“We are going to ensure that the bylaw officers are out there (at the mall) making sure they are doing the right thing.”