LATEST: Two more deaths associated with COVID-19 recorded in Hamilton

The city of Hamilton is reporting that there are 715 cases of COVID-19 in the community as of Thursday (June 4) — 708 confirmed and seven probable cases.

The city of Hamilton is reporting that there are 715 cases of COVID-19 in the community as of Thursday (June 4) — 708 confirmed and seven probable cases.

This is up by nine cases from Wednesday’s reporting of 706 cases.

There have been two more deaths confirmed since last reporting, bringing the city’s death toll to 40.

Of Hamilton’s cases, 542 have been resolved, accounting for 76 per cent of the city’s overall cases.

There are currently two active outbreaks at long-term care facilities across Hamilton, both of which were declared on May 23.

There are 49 people being treated for the virus in Hamilton hospitals.

Ontario is reporting 356 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, and 45 more deaths.

That brings the total number of cases in the province to 29,403, including 2,357 deaths and 23,208 cases that have been resolved.

Ontario completed 20,822 tests in the previous day, more than the 20,000-per-day goal the province pledged earlier in the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the provincial government has made former federal health minister Jane Philpott an adviser.

Philpott, a physician, will help with the design and implementation on a new health-data platform.

The government says the platform will assist researchers and health-system workers as they access anonymized data.

The information will be used to help research and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Philpott served as a minister in the federal government until she was ejected from the Liberal caucus in 2019. That came after she resigned from cabinet in solidarity with Jody Wilson-Raybould over the SNC-Lavalin affair.

She was defeated in the last federal election and took on a new role at Queen’s University earlier this year.

— with a file from The Canadian Press