Over 1,000 people in Lambton are ill with COVID-19 right now.

Lambton Public Health reports this morning there are now 1,037 people ill with COVID-19 in the county. Over the past two days – public health didn’t report any information on New Year’s Day – an additional 345 people tested positive for the virus.

And another person has died from COVID. So far, 84 people have passed away since the pandemic began in Lambton.

There are also now seven outbreaks in Lambton including one at Rosewood Retirement Village in Sarnia where both staff and residents have contracted the virus and Errol Road Public School where less than five students have tested positive.

In Ontario today, 16,714 cases of COVID-19 were reported. Another 18,455 were reported across the province yesterday.

It’s anticipated the number of cases reported by the province will not reflect the true picture of the amount of illness in the community since the provincial government is now limiting PCR testing only to the most vulnerable – including long term care residents and staff – and health care workers. Everyone else will be expected to take a rapid antigen test to verify the illness – although they’ll have to find the testing kits themselves. Those numbers will not be reported anywhere.

Instead, public health officials say they are watching the situation unfolding in the intensive care units. Today, there are 224 people in ICUs across the province, up 10 from the day before. The concern is as more people get ill, the more people will end up in the ICU.

At Bluewater Health, there are 16 people in hospital with COVID-19.