Sarnia-Lambton has now surpassed 300 COVID-19 cases.
Lambton Public Health reported three new cases of the virus Thursday night, bringing the total to 302.
The health unit also reported one more recovered case over the past 24 hours, bringing that total to 265 -- there are currently 12 active cases locally.
Lambton Medical Officer of Health Dr. Sudit Ranade said he anticipated the uptick in new cases as close contacts of known cases are traced and tested.
"A lot of it is from socializing behaviour, people who are visiting each other, or hanging out in groups for a period of time," said Ranade. "It's really about how we socialize."
Heading into the long Civic holiday weekend, Dr. Ranade again emphasized the importance of maintaining physical distancing and wearing masks where that's not possible.
The death-toll, 25, hasn't changed since June 6, and Bluewater Health hasn't seen a COVID positive patient since June 15 -- the Sarnia hospital reported Friday that there are currently 24 patients in hospital with tests pending including pre-surgical screening.