Cold, Flu, & COVID-19

Respiratory Virus Data

For general COVID-19 Vaccine information:

Call Provincial Vaccine Info Line at 1-888-999-6488 (TTY 1-866-797-0007)
Ask your health care provider
Book appointment with SHN to speak with a doctor online or call 416-438-2911 ext. 5738
Book appointment with Sick Kids Hospital to speak with a pediatric nurse about COVID-19 vaccines for youth.

For COVID-19 Vaccine booking information:
Call 905-540-5250

Transmission Status

Status of COVID-19 Cases

Influenza & RSV

Respiratory & Gastrointestinal Outbreaks

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

COVID-19 Incidence Rate by CT

Respiratory Virus Transmission Status in Hamilton

November 29, 2023
This assessment will be updated on Wednesdays (delayed by one day if holiday Monday)

Data interpretation provided in the Respiratory Virus Transmission Status Table uses the most recent and up to date data available to Hamilton Public Health from various data sources. All data are preliminary and subject to change.

The data provided in this assessment can be found in the City of Hamilton’s Status of COVID-19 Cases dashboard, Influenza & RSV dashboard, and Respiratory & Gastrointestinal Outbreaks table.

Overall Assessment

COVID-19 Transmission Status	Influenza Transmission Status
Moderate & Stable	Very Low & Stable

What you need to know about respiratory virus transmission in Hamilton

COVID-19 transmission in Hamilton is moderate & stable. COVID-19 reported cases, ICU admissions, test positivity & number of active outbreaks are stable, while hospitalizations have decreased & wastewater signal has increased.
Influenza transmission in Hamilton is very low & stable. Cases & positive tests continue to be reported. The most recently available influenza A wastewater signal is stable & the most recently available influenza B wastewater signal remains at zero. Most influenza activity since September 2023 has been influenza A.
RSV test positivity has increased & the most recently available RSV wastewater signal is stable.

How to protect yourself

Vaccination remains an important way to protect against COVID-19 & influenza. Get your flu shot and stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations.
Hamiltonians can also consider wearing a tight-fitting, well-constructed mask in indoor public settings, especially anyone at higher risk of severe infection.
Stay home if you’re feeling unwell.
If you get infected, you may be eligible to receive antiviral treatment. Talk to your healthcare provider to find out if you would be eligible and, if you are, where, you can access antivirals if you become infected.
Visit www.hamilton.ca/ProtectYourself to assess your own risk level, considering your age, health status & the setting.

Status	COVID-19 Monitoring Indicators	Data Interpretation
Stable	New Cases: 7 Day Average	Over the past 3 weeks, the 7-day average of new cases has stabilized (15 on November 12, 27 on November 19, and 25 on November 26).
Stable	New Cases: Weekly Incidence per 100,000	Over the past 3 weeks, the weekly incidence per 100,000 of new cases has stabilized (17 on November 12, 31 on November 19, and 29 on November 26).
Decrease	Hospital Admissions: 7 Day Average	Over the past 3 weeks, the 7-day average of new hospitalizations has decreased (0.7 on November 12, 0.4 on November 19, and 0.3 on November 26).
Stable	ICU Admissions: 7 Day Average	Over the past 3 weeks, the 7-day average of new ICU admissions remains stable (0.1 on November 12, 0.1 on November 19, and 0.0 on November 26).
Increase	Wastewater samples with COVID-19 detected: 3 Point Average	Over the past 3 weeks, the viral signal for detecting COVID-19 in wastewater samples has increased (data available up to November 22).
Stable	Percent Test Positivity: 7 Day Average	Over the past 3 weeks, test positivity has stabilized (13.4% on November 12, 22.7% on November 19, and 20.4% on November 26).
Stable	Number of Active Outbreaks	Over the past 3 weeks, the number of active outbreaks has stabilized (14 on November 14, 15 on November 21, and 13 on November 28).
Status	Influenza Monitoring Indicators	Data Interpretation
Stable	New Influenza Cases: 7 Day Average	Over the past 3 weeks, the 7-day average of new influenza cases remains stable (0.1 on November 12, 1.0 on November 19, and 0.7 on November 26).
Increase	Influenza Test Positivity	Over the past 3 weeks, influenza test positivity has increased (0.5% on November 11, 1.2% on November 18, and 1.7% on November 25).
Stable	Wastewater samples with Influenza A detected: 3 Point Average	The viral signal for Influenza A in wastewater remains stable and was last detected on November 21 (data available up to November 22).
Stable	Wastewater samples with Influenza B detected: 3 Point Average	Influenza B has not been detected in Hamilton wastewater samples since June 20, 2023 (data available up to November 22).
Status	Other Respiratory Monitoring Indicators	Data Interpretation
Increase	Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Test Positivity	Over the past 3 weeks, RSV test positivity has increased (7.2% on November 11, 9.1% on November 18, and 10.4% on November 25).
Stable	Wastewater samples with RSV detected: 3 Point Average	The most recent viral signal for detecting RSV in wastewater samples has stabilized (data available up to November 22).
Stable	Number of Respiratory Institutional Outbreaks (non-COVID-19)	Over the past 3 weeks, the number of active respiratory outbreaks (non-COVID-19) remains stable (2 on November 14, 1 on November 21, and 2 on November 28).

Free flu shots are available for everyone who lives, works or attends school in Ontario. Getting your flu shot helps protect you and those around you.

Find a flu vaccine clinic

The table below presents a list of active and recently declared-over respiratory and enteric outbreaks in the City of Hamilton:

Confirmed and suspect COVID-19 outbreaks in institutional and congregate settings
Confirmed influenza and other respiratory outbreaks in institutional and childcare settings
Confirmed enteric outbreaks in institutional and childcare settings

The data is based on the most recently available information from iPHIS (integrated Public Health Information System) and CCM (Case & Contact Management) as of 8:30 am the previous day. Updated daily (Monday to Friday), except for statutory holidays. Causative agents are identified as lab results become available. Information regarding causative agents may not become available for all outbreaks.

Outbreaks are declared in accordance with the Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA) and criteria outlined in Ministry of Health guidance documents:

For more information on outbreak reporting in congregate living settings, visit Outbreak Reporting & IPAC for Congregate Living Settings.

Source: integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) & Public Health Case and Contact Management (CCM) Solution

Data Notes for the map:

Vaccination metrics for Census Tracts are prepared by Hamilton Public Health Services, represent a snapshot in time, and are refreshed monthly. Vaccinated individuals are assigned to Census Tracts using their postal code. Please note that less than 5% of vaccinated Hamiltonians may not be mapped as their postal code is missing or their records are inaccessible. Census Tract populations were estimated from the 2021 Canadian Census (please note that prior to June 6, 2022, Census Tract populations were estimated for 2021 using growth projections).
School vaccine coverage data are prepared by Hamilton Public Health Services, represent a snapshot in time, and are updated at the end of each month. School vaccine coverage estimates only include students who reside in Hamilton and students who were born in 2016 or earlier. Schools with less than 10 students born in 2016 or earlier have been suppressed to protect student privacy. These schools are not included in the map. School vaccine coverage estimates may be under-reported due to inability to access or link some vaccine records. Instances that might lead to this include: out of province vaccine administration not reported to an Ontario public health unit, students vaccinated outside of Hamilton who recently moved to Hamilton, and students vaccinated outside of Hamilton whose public health unit was incorrectly entered.
Sociodemographic data are sourced from the 2016 Canadian Census.

Data Notes for the map:

Map includes cumulative count of all confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases with a permanent address in the City of Hamilton by Census Tract. Count captures all active, resolved, and fatal cases beginning March 2020, that are counted within the geographical Census Tract they intersect. Census Tract populations were estimated from the 2021 Canadian Census (please note that prior to June 6, 2022, Census Tract populations were estimated for 2021 using growth projections).

Social Determinants of Health Data Collection (SDOH) in Hamilton during COVID-19

Health is influenced by a number of factors, including biology, access to health services, health behaviours, and the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age. These conditions are known as the social determinants of health, and include factors such as income, race, education/literacy, and gender. The social determinants of health can positively and negatively impact one’s ability to achieve good health. When health outcomes are patterned, unfair, and preventable, these are known as health inequities.

Hamilton is a diverse city and has a growing racialized population and a high proportion of people living with lower income. Evidence shows that racialized community members and lower income community members are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 due to pre-existing health inequities. As a result, Hamilton Public Health Services (HPHS) began collecting social determinants of health data from COVID-19 cases to better understand COVID-19 disease prevalence in the community. HPHS also uses Public Health Ontario data to help understand differences in vaccine uptake by race and income. Understanding if there are inequities in COVID-19 cases and vaccination rates helps create focused interventions to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection and support vaccine uptake.

Hamilton Public Health Services (HPHS) has collected SDOH data on COVID-19 cases since May 26, 2020. HPHS retrospectively collected SDOH data on cases occurring prior to May 26, 2020.
- SDOH data collection was temporarily paused in Wave 2 (January – February 2021) and during the Omicron wave (starting December 2021) in order to ensure all cases and high-risk contacts were reached quickly enough to slow virus spread.
Data collected includes race, language, household income, household size and Indigenous identity.
HPHS has analysed SDOH data for Hamilton’s COVID-19 cases at two time points (October 2020 and June 2021). The trends presented below have been stable since October 2020.
Trends in Hamilton’s SDOH case data are consistent with trends described by other regions and in provincial reports.

Summary of Findings

Nearly half (45%) of Hamilton’s COVID-19 cases were racialized people. This shows racialized people were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 since racialized people only make up 19% of Hamilton’s population.

25% of COVID-19 cases lived in low-income households. This shows that low-income households were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 since this population only makes up 19% of Hamilton’s population

These results are provided by Hamilton Public Health Services by collecting socio-economic data directly from COVID-19 cases.
Local data should be interpreted with caution, as data are not representative of all COVID-19 cases. This is because HPHS can only share responses from those who provided this information, which would exclude those who chose not to participate, those who were not asked because of changes to the HPHS data collection processes, or cases that were not reported to public health. While HPHS used reliable data (the 2016 census) to determine the proportion of residents who are racialized or low income, these data are dated. However, results from HPHS sociodemographic analysis of COVID-19 cases are consistent with other jurisdictions, which similarly have found that racialized and low-income populations are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 infection.

Impact of SDOH Data on COVID Response

The SDOH data findings led to and/or reinforced the importance of many local initiatives for racialized people and those living with low income. Some examples include:

Delivery of essential supplies (e.g., groceries, medications) to isolated individuals without adequate social supports.
Consultation and support to Indigenous organizations to establish an Indigenous-led COVID-19 call centre and Indigenous-led vaccine clinics.
Consultation and support to organizations and leaders to establish community vaccine clinics for Black and racialized people.
Enhanced infection control support in congregate settings such as residential care facilities and temporary farm worker housing.
Mobile COVID-19 testing and vaccination options in priority neighbourhoods, including homebound options for non-ambulatory residents.
Support provided to shelters about public health measures to reduce transmission.
Prioritization of shelter populations for COVID-19 vaccination.
Designation of two additional “Hot Spot” areas in Hamilton, in addition to the “Hot Spots” defined by the Province.
- The additional “Hot Spots” were selected based on a high incidence of COVID-19 activity and a high proportion of racialized people, Indigenous people or people living with low income.
Prioritization of Black and racialized people for COVID-19 vaccination, starting with those living in designated “Hot Spots”.
Launch of a Vaccine Ambassador program to provide tailored and focused outreach to racialized communities in Hamilton.
Funding for vaccine outreach granted to community organizations working with priority populations.

Hamilton Public Health Services uses Public Health Ontario’s (PHO) ecological analysis of SDOH data for vaccinations. The PHO analysis combines vaccine coverage data with neighbourhood-level measures of diversity and material deprivation collected through the census.

The latest analysis of socio-economic status of vaccinated Hamiltonians (January 2022) found:

At the beginning of the vaccine rollout, neighbourhoods with more racialized populations had lower vaccine rates. Over time, this gap closed and currently the neighbourhoods with more racialized populations have a similar vaccination rate (83.5% with at least 1 dose) compared to the least racialized neighbourhoods (83.2% with at least 1 dose).

Date	Low Diversity Neighbourhoods	High Diversity Neighbourhoods
29-May-21	67.4%	58.2%
19-Jun-21	75.1%	68.2%
31-Jul-21	79.4%	74.6%
28-Aug-21	79.4%	79.1%
26-Sep-21	82.2%	83.4%
24-Oct-21	83.5%	85.9%
21-Nov-21	84.4%	87.3%
02-Jan-22	83.2%	83.5%

As of January 2022, neighbourhoods with the highest poverty (material deprivation) rates have lower vaccine rates (75.8% with at least 1 dose) compared to neighbourhoods with the lowest poverty rates (87.1% with at least 1 dose); however, this gap has narrowed since May 2021.

Date	Low Material Deprivation Neighbourhoods	High Material Deprivation Neighbourhoods
29-May-21	69.4%	50.9%
19-Jun-21	76.8%	61.2%
31-Jul-21	80.4%	68.4%
28-Aug-21	84.0%	70.9%
26-Sep-21	86.9%	75.5%
24-Oct-21	88.4%	78.2%
21-Nov-21	89.1%	79.6%
02-Jan-22	87.1%	75.8%

These results are provided by Public Health Ontario by looking at vaccine rates by geographic areas and comparing them to socio-economic data collected in the census. Learn more from Public Health Ontario

Impact of SDOH Vaccination Data on COVID Response

Similar to the SDOH data findings on COVID-19 cases, the ecological analysis reinforced the need to provide focused outreach for racialized people and those living with low income through the Vaccine Ambassador program and the vaccine outreach funding provided to community organizations. In addition, these data support selecting locations for both fixed and mobile vaccine clinics by placing clinics in locations that are accessible and in or near priority neighbourhoods.
The closing of the vaccination rate gap between neighbourhoods with the lowest and highest levels of diversity provides evidence that the efforts by community organizations, health care partners, and public health to increase uptake have been successful. Continued effort is needed to increase vaccination rates in low-income neighbourhoods.

Date modified

November 29, 2023