One class closed in Watford’s Catholic School

It’s a sign COVID-19 is still active.

For the fourth straight day, more than 20 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Lambton County.

Lambton Public Health reported 21 new cases Saturday morning, 24 Sunday morning and 22 new cases Monday morning to bring the number of total cases in Lambton to 2,254 as we approach the one year anniversary of the declaration of the world wide pandemic.

Public health declared two outbreaks over the weekend; one at Lambton Meadowview Villa in Petrolia where a staff of the long term care home tested positive for COVID-19 and one at Queen Elizabeth II School in Sarnia where a teacher and a student are COVID-19 positive.

The Independent has learned there is also three students and one teacher who are COVID-19 positive at St. Peter Canisius Catholic School in Watford. One classroom is closed there.

There are several classrooms in Corunna also closed because of the virus – one at Col. Cameron Public School and two at St. Joseph’s School where the virus has also been found.

In all, there are 21 cases of COVID-19 in schools in the Lambton-Kent District – the most since the pandemic began. There are 11 in the public board, including one case at LCCVI and 10 at the Catholic board where five classrooms are closed.

There are now 38 people at Kettle and Stony Point who have tested positive for the virus. The outbreak came to light Thursday and this weekend four positive results were confirmed.

Chief Jason Henry is asking residents to return to the health protocols of early in the pandemic and not to visit with people outside their households.

After several days of reporting fewer than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases in Ontario, the province reported 1,631 Monday – an increase of over 400 from Sunday. Late in the day, Public Health Ontario said the increase was due to a data delay. There were instead about 1,200 COVID-19 cases. Most of the cases are in Toronto, York and Peel, which moved out of the Stay at Home order under the Emergency Orders and into the grey lockdown today.

In long term care homes, the COVID-19 vaccine is having an impact. Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Table, which gives advice to the province on the virus, says the impact of the vaccine is being felt with a 96 per cent reduction in death of residents in long term care from COVID-19.