21 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Brampton Friday; region apologizes for mailing incorrect virus test results to Peel residents

Peel’s public health unit confirmed another 21 cases of COVID-19 in the City of Brampton on Friday morning, bringing the municipal total to 158.

The new cases formed part of the 50 new cases reported across the region Friday, which now has a total of 412 infections confirmed and four deaths, the most recent two announced this morning. 

With 21 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed Thursday in Brampton, the city's total rises to 158.

The additional cases come after the region’s public health unit issued an apology Thursday evening for mailing incorrect testing information to a number of residents. According to the apology from Interim Medical Officer of Health Dr. Lawrence Loh, the region accidentally mailed 16 letters to residents on Tuesday and Wednesday advising them that their COVID-19 test results were negative, when they were actually positive. 

“I know the relief those residents felt for a few moments has sadly been transformed into feelings of fear and uncertainty. Our team is working quickly to notify these residents and make sure they have what they need to manage this difficult situation,” Loh writes.  

“On investigation, we found that several positive test slips were mixed with a batch of negative results received from labs,” he added. “This error was not noticed until after the notification letters were mailed. We have made changes to our process to ensure that this situation does not occur again in the future. On behalf of the Region of Peel, I extend apologies to those residents impacted by this error."

According to the William Osler Health System, 313 individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 at its treatment centres — which includes locations at Peel Memorial and a drive-thru location adjacent to Etobicoke General. A total of 23 individuals are being treated for the coronavirus in Osler hospitals, an increase of four patients compared to Thursday.

In Peel, 50 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed Friday for a total of 412 infections. To date, four people have died from the novel coronavirus in the region.

The Ontario Ministry of Health states that currently there are 462 people hospitalized with COVID-19, 194 people in ICU and 140 on ventilators as of Friday morning. 

Across Ontario, 462 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed Thursday evening, pushing the provincial total to more than 3,000, with 3,255 confirmed cases including 67 deaths. A total of 1,023 of these cases are marked as resolved, with the person no longer showing any symptoms.

While the increase in new infections has been expected by health and government officials, the rate at which it is happening is concerning, as Friday morning numbers mark the third consecutive day the province has seen an increase of more than 400 cases with 401 confirmed yesterday and 426 the day before. 

While the City of Brampton and other municipalities across Ontario follow the provincial government’s lead in ensuring their residents practice social and physical distancing, it can have unintended consequences for some people. 

For Peel Regional Police (PRP), calls for family disputes and intimate partner issues have been increasing steadily in recent years, rising from about 5,400 in 2014 to more than 7,000 in 2018 for family disputes and increasing from approximately 8,100 in 2014 to nearly 10,000 in 2018. Calls for both incidents also increased in 2019.

These types of calls, by far, are the single most common, resident-initiated event for PRP, and between 2009 and 2019, 22 Brampton residents lost their lives to domestic violence.

That’s not to say that each of these disputes turn particularly violent. Numbers from Family Services of Peel show that in 2015, of the 8,509 calls for intimate partner disputes received by Peel police, 2,040 resulted in charges being laid. However, it still represents many individuals who are stuck in potentially dangerous situations. 

With physical distancing and staying home strongly recommended by Peel Public Health, and the potential for a mandatory stay-at-home order from the province on the horizon, it could trap vulnerable individuals with uncertain consequences.

Now, the provincial government is looking to help those supporting these vulnerable individuals.

On Thursday, Attorney General Doug Downey announced $2.7 million to support services for victims of domestic violence and other violent crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The additional funding will support more than 50 community agencies across Ontario to help them stay operational and accessible to victims during the pandemic. 

"Staying home is unfortunately not always the safest option in certain households and sadly a recent increase in domestic violence has been reported to front-line victim service organizations," stated Downey in a news release on the provincial government’s website. "This emergency payment will ensure victims of crime, particularly those who are experiencing domestic violence, get the help they need to stay safe and healthy during this crisis."

A list of the agencies to receive funding was not provided as part of the provincial release, but there are many organizations in Peel that could benefit from the extra support, including Interim Place, one of the region’s shelters offering support to those fleeing domestic violence. Interim Place has halted all of its support groups, including those assisting people who have experienced sexual violence, those dealing with addictions, and support for trans women. The shelter is still keeping its doors open for those trying to escape an abusive relationship with new screening procedures being put in place to detect COVID-19. As well, Hope 24/7, the only provincially-designated Sexual Assault/Rape Crisis Centre in Peel Region, has stopped all sexual clinic operations and other supports, closing its offices until April 6.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @JoeljWittnebel

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