88-year-old woman, Heritage Green resident, is Hamilton's second COVID-19 death

The city's second COVID-19 death, public health officials say, is an 88-year-old woman who lived at Heritage Green Nursing Home in Stoney Creek.

She died at the nursing home March 30 and was not hospitalized, public health officials said in an emailed statement Thursday.

A second facility outbreak in the city has been declared at Cardinal Retirement Residence where a case was confirmed there Wednesday. The two Hamilton outbreaks are among several others in the region, including one in Haldimand-Norfolk and four in Niagara. In total, six long-term care residents from the region have died from COVID-19. 

Medical officer of health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson announced the outbreak during a press conference Thursday and said staff are investigating. 

Meanwhile, the union representing workers at Heritage Green said it was not aware of the second death. 

"I'm outraged for us to find out three days later about another death in there," said SEIU healthcare union president Sharleen Stewart. "How are we supposed to be protecting workers?

"It's becoming outrageous," Stewart told CBC about the lack of communication from homes. 

She said the union is considering legal action against Heritage Green and other homes where administrators are not communicating updates and being transparent about COVID-19 outbreaks. 

Richardson mentioned the second death Wednesday evening at the city's town hall, but did not say the person was a Heritage Green resident. 

On Thursday, Richardson said the three-day delay in reporting the death was due to processes that public health had to follow, including notifying all family members. She said public health is doing things "as quickly as we can."

Hamilton's first COVID-19 death was 80-year-old Maria Bettencourt, who also lived at Heritage Green. The woman fell ill March 16 after attending St. Joseph's hospital for a scheduled treatment. Upon returning to the home, she displayed symptoms of COVID-19 and was transferred back to the hospital, where she was put into isolation. On March 24, public health officials announced her death. 

As of Thursday, 17 residents and 10 staff at the nursing home displayed symptoms of COVID-19. Four residents and two staff have received positive COVID-19 tests, but the other tests are still being processed.

Initially the city said it wasn't going to test all 27 people as it was obvious, in light of four other confirmed cases at the time, what was causing the symptoms.

But under new directives issued by the province, the city will now test every individual in a long-term care home who is symptomatic. 

The facility outbreak in Haldimand-Norfolk is at Anson Place in Hagersville, which has had three deaths. The local health unit website lists a fourth death Thursday, but hasn't said if it's connected to the home. Twelve staff and 11 residents there have also tested positive for COVID-19.

The four nursing homes in the Niagara region include, Seasons Retirement Community in Welland where two residents have tested positive, with other cases confirmed at Lundy Manor in Niagara Falls, Rapelje Lodge in Welland and Royal Rose Place in Welland.

A resident of Ina Grafton Village in St. Catharines has also died from the virus. 

The city said the province changed the definition of a facility outbreak to include only one COVID-19 positive patient, where previously it meant there were two positive cases.