The number of people hospital with COVID-19 and the number of outbreaks in Lambton continue to climb.

Today, 35 people are at Bluewater Health being treated for the illness during the Omicron wave, one more than yesterday’s record breaking patient list. Ten of those people are in the intensive care unit.

The number of people in hospital continues to swell as more people in the community fall ill. Lambton public health says there are about 1,493 people ill right now. Those are only the cases confirmed by a PCR test. The province recently decided only high risk individuals, those in long term care and those in health care would have access to those tests. Public health officials estimate the total between four and five times higher.

There are 15 outbreaks in Lambton with the worst being in long term care. At Trillium Villa in Sarnia there are 17 staff and 17 residents ill. There are now six residents and 12 staff members ill at Fiddick’s Nursing Home in Petrolia. At Sumac Lodge, 12 residents are ill and 10 staff have tested COVID-19 positive and at Marshall Gowland Manor 12 staff members and at least one resident has the virus.

In Ontario today, there are at least 259 long term care homes in outbreak with over 1,400 residents and 2,600 staff who are COVID-19 positive.

The outbreaks have also creeped into other institutions. Lambton County Developmental Services is dealing with an outbreak in Wyoming as is Community Living in Sarnia and St. Francis Advocates in Arkona. Bluewater Health has an outbreak in its inpatient rehablitiation unit. Six patients are ill and so as at least one staff member. And there are also outbreaks at the Sarnia Jail again and Huron House Boys Home.

In Ontario today, 2,467 people have been hospitalized with 438 in ICU.

Twelve people have died.