Lambton has passed a grim milestone.

Lambton Public Health reported two more people have passed away because of COVID-19 bringing the number of people who have died locally to 101. One 80 year-old died in long term care and another 70 year old died at Bluewater Health.

Across Ontario, public health recorded 60 deaths in the past day.

There are 53 people with COVID-19 at Bluewater Health today and the medical unit is running above capacity. There are 12 people in the 14-unit intensive care with nine of those people admitted for COVID-19.

Across the province, there are 4,132 people in hospital and 589 people are in the ICU – that’s up nine.

This morning, Health Minister Christine Elliott said officials are starting to see a “glimmer of hope” and the “beginning of stabilization.”

She says the rate of people being admitted to the hospital has slowed. The Ministry of Health estimates the spread of the Omicron variant will peak this month but “February will continue to pose challenges, especially in our hospitals.”

The head of Ontario Health, Matt Anderson, acknowledged there are encouraging signs “we remain in a very challenging environment…we still have hospitals under very challenging circumstances” including large numbers of healthcare workers off sick.

Anderson says many hospitals are running at capacity and there were 100 transfers between hospitals last week.

“Our system has been under strain for five years now but our health care workers have not waivered.”

Elliott’s news conference is seen as a way to set up what Premier Doug Ford says is an easing of restrictions later this week. Elliott confirmed the government will be announcing changes later in the week however she rejected suggestion the province may be moving too fast, without seeing what happens in schools. Students only returned to class this week.

“We’re very pleased students have gone back to school but there is very little evidence there is spread in schools themselves,” she says adding parents should be assured “students have been made as safe as possible” in the classroom.