28 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Brampton Tuesday; city’s total nearly doubles in three days

An unsettling spike in new infections continues across Brampton as numbers from Peel Public Health show the city’s total number of cases almost doubling over the last three days. 

On Tuesday morning, the regional public health unit confirmed 28 new cases in Brampton, bringing the city’s total to 101, up from the 56 that were confirmed on Sunday.

The jump in new cases was part of the largest single-day increase observed in the Region of Peel since the virus arrived here earlier this month with 61 new cases confirmed Tuesday. It brings the region’s total to 277. 

The numbers for the City of Brampton may pale in comparison to other areas of Ontario, like Toronto with 591 confirmed cases as of Monday, or in some regions of Quebec — Canada’s hardest hit province — but per capita information shows the prevalence of COVID-19 in the city is at par or above some areas with high rates of infection. 

In Toronto, the city currently sees approximately 1.9 residents per 10,000 infected with COVID-19. In Brampton, the 101 total cases means approximately 1.5 residents per 10,000 are infected with the virus (based on a projected population of 650,000). Further, when looking at the Region of Peel as a whole, the per capita rate of infection is the same at 1.9 per 10,000, meaning the virus is just as prevalent in Peel as in Canada’s largest city. This is compared to a provincial per capita figure of 1.33 per 10,000 residents across Ontario.

As of Tuesday, the provincial total stood at 1,966 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 33 deaths. According to the Ministry of Health, 534 of those cases are marked as resolved, meaning the person is either fully recovered, or recovering at home. 

In an effort to further track the spread and scale of the virus — efforts essential to getting a handle on the pandemic in Ontario — the province has announced the opening of a number of new COVID-19 assessment centres.

Brampton’s assessment centre, operated by William Osler Health System, at Peel Memorial opened earlier this month, and was one of the initial 58 centres set up by the province. As part of the new crop of centres being opened by the province, Osler will now be operate a second testing centre in Etobicoke. The drive-thru location, located in the Humber College overflow parking lot near Etobicoke General Hospital, will allow for “safe, confidential and convenient access for people who meet the criteria and may need to be tested,” a release from Osler states. People do not need to leave their cars to be assessed and tested.

A COVID-19 assessment centre at Peel Memorial in Brampton was one of the centres set up by the province.

The new centres come as the province tries to get a handle on a backlog of COVID-19 tests that have yet to see results. According to the Ministry of Health on Monday, there were 5,651 tests still awaiting results, down from the more than 10,000 pending tests the week before. 

At Peel Memorial, a release from Osler notes the assessment centre continues to see “very high volumes” of people. However, a request for specific numbers on how many people have been tested at the centre, as well as how many COVID-19 patients are currently being treated at Osler’s hospitals was not returned ahead of publication. Trillium Health Partners (THP) in Mississauga has made some of this information available on its website, which shows 175 patients have tested positive for COVID-19 at THP assessment centres, and 15 of them are currently being cared for in hospital. 

The troubling spike in new cases across Ontario has spurred a series of new actions from all levels of government.

Brampon Transit is reducing peak period service on several routes to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Brampton Transit is limiting the peak period service for a number of its routes to limit the spread of COVID-19. The move follows the decision earlier this month to cut transit fares and enforce rear-door boarding to protect drivers from the highly contagious virus.

Starting today, these routes will no longer be offering morning (6 a.m to 9 a.m.) and evening (3 p.m. to 7 p.m.) peak period service:

• 12 Grenoble

• 13 Avondale

• 16 Southgate

• 17 Howden

• 19 Fernforest

• 32 Father Tobin

• 33 Peter Robertson

• 56 Kingknoll

The routes will continue to offer midday service (between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.) and after 7 p.m. evening service as usual. According to a release from the City of Brampton, the decision is an effort to re-allocate resources to some of Brampton Transit’s busier routes. 

In an effort to create a unified response to COVID-19 across Peel, the region has set up a Community Response Table, a group including officials from Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon and service providers. 

The effort also includes community partners and those in the non-profit sector to ensure support for Peel’s vulnerable and at-risk populations. 

With reports of individuals flaunting social and physical distancing recommendations from the provincial government, Premier Doug Ford has introduced a number of new measures to clamp down on the spread of the virus. On Monday night, following a weekend of seeing images of people swarming around the Toronto waterfront and enjoying the warm spring temperatures, the provincial government closed all “communal or shared, public or private, outdoor recreational amenities” in the province. Many municipalities in the province, including Brampton, have closed all their parks, playgrounds and city facilities to try and limit the spread of COVID-19, but Monday’s order extends the closure to the majority of remaining public places.

"I made a commitment to be open and upfront about what we need to do as a province to beat this virus," said Premier Ford in a news release on the provincial government’s website. "Based on the best medical advice available, we are taking further steps today to protect the health and safety of all Ontarians by closing outdoor recreational amenities, like sports fields and playgrounds, and extending our emergency orders to save lives. We all need to work together and do our part to stop COVID-19 by staying home, practising physical distancing, and avoiding social gatherings."

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Twitter: @JoeljWittnebel