A Halton Hills retirement home is the latest hotspot in the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the planet.

Halton Region Public Health (HRPH) said eight residents of the Mountainview Retirement Residence have died from the deadly coronavirus. Another 63 residents and 18 staffers have tested positive.

The health authority said in a news release that the outbreak — which started in the facility on March 31 — may have been more widespread than previously believed.

“This resulted in the testing of all staff and residents, including those who were asymptomatic, and additional measures to isolate confirmed cases and the most at risk,” the HRPH said in a news release.

Initially, the region wasn’t listing cases and deaths in long-term care and retirement homes.

“I have received clarification from the Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner, and as a result, we are releasing this information,” Halton Region’s medical officer of Health Dr. Hamidah Meghani said in a statement.

“Please be mindful and respect that, in this data, each case is a person and has a family who is struggling with a loved one in isolation or grieving a loss.”

In addition, at least seven other institutional settings are experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak in the region west of Toronto.

Among the others battling an outbreak are Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington with three confirmed cases, Post Inn Village has two reported cases, and  the Amica of Georgetown home has one confirmed case.

Halton Region had 423 confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus as of Saturday.

Meanwhile, two people have died at the Emmanuel House Hospice in Hamilton, public health officials said. So far, 13 people have died in the city.

Most recently, a 67-year-old man and an 86-year-old woman living at the Stinson St. hospice died on April 15 and 17, respectively. The hospice provides end-of-life care and is one of two community outbreaks.

So far, five staffers and two residents have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Another Hamilton outbreak is at Wesley Supportive Housing with one resident testing positive.

In addition, there have been six COVID-19 cases at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton with another 12 at Hamilton Health Sciences.

As of Saturday, Hamilton had 323 confirmed cases of the deadly virus. Of those, 316 were confirmed as positive with another seven deemed probable.

Elsewhere, outside Hamilton in Hagersville, 22 residents of Anson Place Care Centre have died of COVID-19. Another 70 residents have tested positive.