The number of COVID-19 patients being treated in Mississauga hospitals appears to be on the rise again despite more positive signs elsewhere in the GTA.

As of this morning there were 29 COVID-19 patients spread across the three facilities operated by Trillium Health Partners, including eight in intensive care.

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said during a briefing that the number of COVID patients is “significantly higher” than what the hospital system was seeing “just a few weeks ago” and has her “worried” about what lies ahead.

Trillium operates Credit Valley Hospital, Mississauga Hospital and the Queensway Health Centre.

“I've spoken with the leadership at Trillium Health Partners and they attribute the increase in hospitalizations to the lower vaccine uptake in six specific neighborhoods and I'm going to list them: Mississauga Valley, Applewood, Fairview, Sheridan, Rathburn and Erindale,” Crombie said. “I am urging all our residents and in particular, those who live in those six identified neighborhoods, to go out and get vaccinated as soon as possible. We need your help to protect Trillium Health Partners from a situation that we were in earlier this year where ICUs were overwhelmed and elective surgeries were being cancelled.”

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 across Ontario has been steadily declining for weeks now, in delayed lockstep with a reduction in case loads.

Crombie, however, said that the situation at Trillium is becoming “increasingly tenuous” and could ultimately lead to a situation in where care is threatened.

As of Thursday, the hospital network had more COVID-19 patients than any other hospital network in the GTA. The situation at Trillium is also much worse than the one in neighbouring Brampton, where the William Olser Health System only has 10 patients with COVID-19, including one in intensive care.

“We need your help to protect the enormous gains that we've already made against this virus,” Crombie said. “Public health has made it incredibly easy to get the vaccine.”

At this point it is unclear what is behind the sudden uptick in serious cases in the catchment area covered by Trillium but Peel Region's Medical Officer of Health Dr. Lawrence Loh says that data shared by the health network suggests that 95 per cent of the people ending up in the hospital with COVID-19 are unvaccinated. 

Approximately 83 per cent of Peel Region residents are fully immunized against COVID-19.