COVID-19 variant cases across the city and province in recent weeks.In an update on Monday, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson also said a bump in active outbreaks in Hamilton and a reproductive rate greater than 1.0 suggests the epidemic is growing.“The blunt reality really is that we are still at a very critical point in the pandemic,” Richardson said.“Our local trends are, you know, at best sort of at the bottom of the curve and looking to be perhaps on the way back up.” Ontario reports more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases, 6 more deaths Just two weeks ago, public health recorded and a weekly new case rate of just 34 per 100,000 and a reproductive rate lower than 1.0.As of March 1, those numbers have now moved to a weekly rate of 56 new cases.