Cold alert issued for Hamilton with temperature expected to dip to –18 C Monday night

Hamilton's medical officer of health has issued a cold weather alert, warning of plummeting temperatures with the forecast to drop to –18 C Monday night.

That's expected to feel like –21 C with the wind chill, according to Environment Canada.

The Brant County and Halton health units have also put cold alerts in place.

Hamilton is cautioning residents about the risk of frostbite and hypothermia and said staff have notified community agencies who work with vulnerable populations, including those experiencing homelessness.

"During extreme cold weather conditions, please call, visit, or check on vulnerable family, friends, and neighbours," reads a release, announcing the alert.

It's reminding people that the best place to be when it's very cold is indoors.

But for those who have to be outside the city is offering the following tips:

• Dress in layers, keeping the inner layers dry as wet clothes increase the risk of cold or injury.
• Protect your feet with dry, woolen socks that will keep them warm.
• Drink warm liquids, but stay away from caffeine and alcohol.
• Avoid strenuous exercise.

Some city recreation centres are providing a place where people can warm up during their regular operating hours.

The city says some community agencies are also offering spaces to drop-in during cold alerts, adding COVID-19 precautions will be in place at all sites.

Shelters full, six with active outbreaks

Anyone who wants to report the location of a person who needs shelter is asked to contact the Salvation Army at 905-527-1444 ext. 0. 

The alert comes as many shelters in Hamilton struggle with outbreaks of COVID-19. As of Jan. 10, there were six active outbreaks at local shelters, according to city data.

Dr. Jill Wiwcharuk, who works with vulnerable people in the inner city, said it's an incredibly difficult situation.

"I go to bed every night worried that my patients are going to freeze to death overnight," she said.

"Shelters ... are both full and in outbreak."

Shelter users continued to test positive last week, but those who try to provide supports quickly found there was no place for them to isolate, said the doctor.

Some people experiencing homelessness are staying at the shelter where they first tested positive, said Wiwcharuk, but others who have contracted the virus have nowhere to go, even to warm up.

"During this cold spell, people are looking for stairwells to sleep in … ATM cubicles to sleep in, they're going to be desperately trying to stay warm wherever they can."