Mississauga COVID-19 cases increase by 105 percent in a week; hospital capacity expands to help ICUs; 37 new cases confirmed Monday and Peel’s number of dead doubles to 8

In one week, the number of new cases of COVID-19 in Mississauga has increased by 105 percent, new numbers from Peel Public Health show. 

According to statistics, Mississauga saw 37 new cases of infection confirmed Monday, bringing the city’s total number of COVID-19 cases to 316. 

Monday’s increase followed a jump in new infections over the weekend with 49 new cases confirmed over the last two days. 

The Mississauga increase is part of a significant spike in new infections observed across the Region of Peel which increased by 72 cases Monday morning, bringing the region’s total to 557 infections and eight deaths, marking a 101 percent increase across the region from the 277 cases confirmed last Monday and a doubling of the number of deceased reported by the region a day earlier. 

The province of Ontario has seen the same disturbing trend. A spike of new infections observed throughout last week continued over the weekend with nearly 800 more cases confirmed across the province, 375 on Saturday and 408 on Sunday. On Monday morning, 309 new cases were confirmed, bringing the overall total to 4,347 cases and 132 deaths across Ontario. Of those cases, 1,624 are marked as resolved, with a person on the mend or no longer showing signs of infection. 

One of the region’s new cases involves a paramedic who reportedly contracted the highly contagious virus while responding to a motor vehicle collision. 

“Thankfully, our paramedic is OK right now,” said Peter Dundas, Chief of Peel Paramedics. “At the time of the call, the medical direction was to only use PPE on calls dispatched with a positive COVID-19 screen. Last week, we took extra steps to protect our teams and they now wear masks and eye protection, in addition to gloves, for all calls.”

After responding to a motor vehicle accident, a Peel paramedic has tested positive for COVID-19. 

For those on the front lines of the pandemic, the risk of contracting the novel coronavirus is incredibly real. 

According to figures from the International Council of Nurses, in Italy, one of the world’s hardest hit countries, healthcare workers make up about 9 percent of the nearly 125,000 cases. 

Further, in Ontario’s long-term care homes, there are currently 44 ongoing outbreaks across the province, resulting in 511 cases of COVID-19 among residents and 340 cases among staff members. 

Front line healthcare workers are at particular risk for contracting COVID-19.

Trillium Health Partners (THP) currently operates two COVID-19 assessment centres, located at Mississauga Hospital and Credit Valley Hospital. A total of 365 individuals have tested positive at THP facilities and there are currently 49 people being treated for COVID-19 in THP hospitals. 

Data from Critical Care Services of Ontario shows that critical care space is running low in the city. According to a tweet from Michelle DiEmanuele, the CEO of THP, the hospital network has been working to expand capacity to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients, many of whom will require a ventilator to stay alive. 

DiEmanuele notes that the healthcare network has expanded from its regular 100 beds by an additional 36 critical care spaces and is now looking to a second phase of expansion. 

Trillium Health Partners has been working to expand ICU capacity at its Mississauga hospitals in preparation for a surge in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

The City of Mississauga also took further steps over the weekend to enforce its stringent social distancing measures. 

A weekend enforcement blitz was carried out by the city’s municipal bylaw officers who patrolled local parks, playgrounds and other outdoor spaces that have been closed for the foreseeable future due to COVID-19. Officers handed out a pair of $750 tickets to two individuals using a closed city skatepark. 

Additionally, the economic ramifications on the city continue to come to light. Previously, it was announced that the city would be losing approximately 50 percent of its revenue, or as much as $14 million until the end of July. According to city documents, Mississauga also stands to lose approximately $61,000 a month in parking revenue and $4,300 a month in licensing fees. 

As Ontario enters a critical stage in its battle against COVID-19 and local municipalities continue their efforts to urge people to stay home, other jurisdictions are starting to come out the other side of their respective pandemics. For example, Wuhan, China, ground zero for the coronavirus pandemic, is preparing to lift a number of strict lockdown rules that have been in place since January in order to try and contain the virus. But many global health officials note that other jurisdictions, such as Japan and Singapore, are stepping up isolation measures, after good signs earlier, because of renewed concern that infections are again starting to increase. Clusters in the last two days have broken out in Singapore and Tokyo infections have soared in the last 48 hours, after both areas had been held up as positive examples for weeks.

Even in China, outside health observers, such as the World Health Organization, have said new spread could occur as travellers from other countries enter, and because of a possible second wave of the virus. 

Experts have warned countries including Canada not to let down their guard, even if numbers begin to plateau or slowly decline, as nothing about the longer-term infection dynamics of this novel coronavirus is known. 

Until there is a globally available vaccine, the reality for Mississauga and the rest of the world is that infections could continue for months and months.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @JoeljWittnebel

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