The number of people testing positive for COVID-19 has increased significantly Friday across the province and in Lambton.

Ontario is reporting the highest daily case numbers of the pandemic with 4,227 new cases of the virus and 18 deaths Friday. That’s higher than Jan. 10 when there were 3,945 people who tested positive for COVID-19. The average number of cases for last seven days was 3,093.

Lambton also reported far more people testing positive – 46 – Friday. Thursday only four cases were reported. The community has now registered 3,001 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic started.

The data shows 150 people are actively ill now – up 31 from yesterday. Another 15 people have recovered.

There are two outbreaks in long term care, including at Rosewood Village where 19 residents, who had been vaccinated, and two staff tested positive.

There are four workplace outbreaks with 21 COVID-19 positive, including seven at a workplace identified in outbreak Wednesday.

There are 13 Lambton schools dealing with COVID-19 with 26 people positive including LCCVI in Petrolia, North Lambton in Forest and St. Pats and Northern Collegiate in Sarnia.

Across the province, as schools prepare for Spring Break which starts Monday, 1,300 schools in the provinces have cases of COVID-19; 199 of those are in outbreak with 160 students and 36 staff testing positive for the virus. Sixty nine schools have been closed as well as the entire public school systems in Peel and Toronto.

Another 105,382 people were vaccinated in Ontario Thursday bringing the total number of people with their first shot to over $2.94 million. Premier Doug Ford received his shot today.