What will the first summer in two years without restrictions in Niagara’s bars and restaurants look like?
“It will depend on whether we see more sub-variants of Covid-19,” says the region’s top doctor Mustafa Hirji. “I am worried we will see another wave of the pandemic in the fall, but a sub variant emerging could mean it will be earlier than that.”
The region’s medical officer of health made those predictions during a media briefing on Monday, where he took note of the story being told by wastewater data in the province. While things appear to be improving in Ontario as a whole, with numbers of new infections appearing to taper off, Niagara has not seen that much of a clear trend yet.
“But we are just starting to see this trend in the hospitals,” Hirji said. “Niagara Health is not seeing a downward trend. The hospitalizations are still higher than the peak of the third wave. The small bit of good news is that Covid is a primarily secondary diagnosis for those who are being treated.”
Niagara Public Health reported 1,445 active cases in the region on Monday in its continued uncertain numbers, not believed to be an accurate depiction of the true number.
Niagara Health had not updated its hospital breakdown since Friday, when 91 patients were admitted to area hospitals, of which 28 are being primarily treated for the virus. 164 staff and physicians are currently self-isolating due to the virus.
