CBC Windsor June 22 COVID-19 update: Windsor-Essex only Ontario region not reopening this week
Ontario premier begs farmers to 'co-operate' and help workers get tested
Windsor-Essex is now the only region in the province that will not enter Stage 2 of reopening this week.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford made the announcement Monday, saying the province is working with local health officials on a daily basis.
"The threat of this virus in Windsor-Essex is still too great," said Ford, adding residents should be reassured the government is doing everything it can to aid the region.
Ford said federal supports are coming in where they can, including an enhanced agri-food program to bring more personal protective equipment to farms and businesses in the sector. They will also bring on-site testing units to farms in the area.
"It's totally unfair to the people of Windsor-Essex ... I feel sorry for them I really do," said Ford, as he begged farm owners to help get their workers tested for COVID-19 and work with the province.
"Farmers are not co-operating. They're not sending people out to get tested."
Since Friday, there have been 66 new cases of COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex, and 52 of those cases were in the agri-farm industry.
Seven workplaces in the industry are under an outbreak.
Medical officer of health Dr. Wajid Ahmed said the recent rise is due in part to the increased testing of farm workers in the region — most of whom are temporary foreign workers.
"Just to be clear, the cases we are seeing right now are already identified as epi-link, not coming as new cases or a surprise for us," said Ahmed, explaining close living accommodations are a major factor when it comes to the spread of the virus among the workers.
WATCH | Ontario Premier begs Windsor-Essex farm owners to co-operate with the province:
More than 4,000 people in the agri-farm sector have been contacted in May and June by the health unit as part of their case and contact management, explained Ahmed.
But despite the new cases among the farming community, Ahmed said community cases have been low since mid-May and believes the province should consider reopening parts of Windsor-Essex.
"I think that's the conversation I feel the politicians need to have — what it looks like from that perspective," said Ahmed.
"Some of the challenges we are seeing with the agri-farm sector are basically because of their living conditions. Each one of them have a high number of close contacts."
Ahmed has made short and long-term recommendations to all levels of government about housing accommodations for migrant workers, which are regulated under the federal government's Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
Three temporary foreign workers from Mexico have died in Ontario due to COVID-19 — two were working in Essex County.
WATCH | Trudeau says "rules weren't followed" in cases of temporary foreign workers who died of COVID-19:
Earlier on Monday, the prime minister said the government has rules in place to protect temporary foreign workers who come to Canada but that there are cases where those rules are not followed.
"We are extremely concerned by that and there will be consequences," said Justin Trudeau during a press conference.
"In Canada, anyone doing work let alone essential work as part of our food chain needs to be protected," said Trudeau, adding changes need to be made.
Woman says border rules keeping her from seeing her dying mother
Anne Stevanovich, a Canadian citizen who lives in Michigan, said she fears she may not be able to see her mother before she dies.
It's because of a two-week isolation period Stevanovich must undergo if she were to cross the border to Canada.
She said her 94-year-old mother is currently hospitalized at Windsor Regional Hospital's Metropolitan Campus, nearing the end of her life, and she hasn't seen her in-person since early March.
"It's the thought of not seeing someone you love ever again that you haven't seen in months. You know, it's your mom," she said.
"She's an amazing lady, a wonderful mother, and it's just very challenging to think that I can't say goodbye while she's still alive."
Testing centres
Testing is available at two assessment centres in Windsor-Essex.
The assessment centre at the Ouellette campus of Windsor Regional Hospital, next to the Emergency Department, is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The assessment centre at Erie Shores HealthCare is open from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
COVID-19 in Sarnia-Lambton
Lambton Public Health reported 285 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region. Overall, there have been 25 deaths.
Another 244 people have recovered.
Bluewater Health is under an outbreak after four staff members tested positive for the disease.
Afton Park long-term care home in Sarnia is now under an outbreak, after one staff member tested positive for COVID-19.
An outbreak at Vision Nursing Home in Sarnia has ended. Twenty-six residents and 28 staff at the facility had tested positive for the disease. Ten residents at the facility have died.
COVID-19 in Chatham-Kent
Chatham-Kent's health unit reported 157 total cases of COVID-19 for the region.
An outbreak at Greenhill Produce is now over.
There were 103 workers at the facility who had tested positive. The outbreak was investigated at the end of April, when about 40 cases of the disease were discovered among workers at the greenhouse operation.
In Chatham-Kent, one person has died due to COVID-19 and 147 people have recovered.
