Twenty six people in Kettle and Stony Point have tested positive for COVID-19 and the chief says right now it is “unchecked.”

Chief Jason Henry took to social media Wednesday to say after 50 weeks of going without a significant number of COVID-19, 26 people are COVID-19 positive now.

“We did our part for 50 weeks strong….and after nearly a year of being involved in a global pandemic, we let our guard down a little bit and the virus crept in.”

“There were 50 tests administered Monday, there were 20 results back and all 20 were positive,” Henry says. “We know more people are involved.. other people have been mentioning others people who have symptoms who have not be tested.

“I can’t put enough stress on getting tested; early testing can stop this from going farther and farther. Let’s stop this where it is.”

Henry said anyone who has associated with people who aren’t in their household should be tested. And he urged the community to “go back” to all the health protocols and to stay home except for essential purposes.

He also credits the local schools for closing down Wednesday morning which he says may limit the spread of the virus in the community.

In all today, Lambton registered 47 new cases of COVID-19. Ontario reported under 1,000 new cases for the third day in a row.