Chatham-Kent saw 63 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend and 56 individuals recovered.
The active total of cases now sits at 128 while the cumulative cases have reached 907.
Two new outbreaks have been declared. One is at Fairfield Park long-term care home in Wallaceburg where only one case was discovered.
Another workplace outbreak was declared. CK Public Health does not disclose the names of the workplaces unless pertinent to public safety.
There are eight active workplace outbreaks, affecting only eight individuals total.
Three individuals remain hospitalized, a decrease from last week which saw four people in the hospital.
During the past month Chatham-Kent has seen its highest amount of active cases since the onset of the pandemic. Previous highs were in April when Greenhill Produce saw an outbreak affecting nearly 100 staff members.
The trend in increasing cases is felt throughout the province, which reported a new single-day record of 3,945 new cases on Sunday.
As a result, all schools will remain closed for in-person learning until Jan. 25 for elementary school students in the 27 Southern Ontario public health unit regions.
Elementary students were previously slated to attend class on Jan. 11. The change will not affect secondary school students who were set to return on the 25.
Lambton-Kent District School Board stated that for the duration of the remote learning period, students should anticipate spending 75-80 per cent of their 300-minute school day participating in live (synchronous) learning time with their teachers and education workers. Parents or guardians whose children may not be able to meet this expectation should discuss this with their child’s teacher or principal.
“This decision is a proactive measure by the Government of Ontario to further support the health and well-being of Ontarians. The health and safety of our students and staff is a top priority for the LKDSB,” said LKDSB board in a release.
Parents and guardians are also encouraged to reach out to their child’s teacher or principals should mental health concerns arise.
In previous interviews, director of education John Howitt has said that all students were set up on online learning platforms in the event of another lockdown. Before the Christmas break, both Chatham-Kent’s public school boards advised students to empty their lockers in preparation for the potential transition.
