Arabnews24.ca:Wednesday 12 January 2022 11:00 AM: The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is putting a pause on the arrival of any temporary foreign workers to the southwestern Ontario region until February 2.
Acting medical officer of health Dr. Shanker Nesathurai issued a new letter of instruction Wednesday, directed at any owner or operators who employ temporary foreign workers in the southwestern Ontario region.
According to the letter, owners must immediately cancel, suspend, or postpone the arrivals of temporary foreign workers to Windsor-Essex between Jan. 13 and Feb. 1.
Unless further instructions are set, they may resume bringing temporary foreign workers into the region on Feb. 2.
Nesathurai cited several reasons behind the new instructions, including a "significant number" of outbreaks in the agricultural sector, a lack or resources or management of a safe isolation space to those who may be ill with COVID-19, and limited capacity of the local health-care system overall.
Six agricultural settings were listed as being under an outbreak according to the health unit's website Wednesday. Four are in Kingsville and two are in Leamington. The local health unit issues an outbreak in these settings anytime two or more employees test positive for COVID-19 withing a timeline that suggest transmission took place.
The health unit said those who do not adhere to the instruction are subject to fines of $750 for individuals and $1,000 for companies. Maximum fines could be up to $100,000 for individuals and imprisonment up to one year. For directors of a company, that could be up to $500,000 and up to a year of imprisonment. For corporations, the maximum fine could be as much as $10,000,000.
In December, the City of Windsor was looking for the federal government to commit to further funding the Windsor-Essex Isolation and Recovery Centre for agri-farm workers, which was set to end March 31.
Mayor Drew Dilkens said at that time, that any new workers to the region would isolate at the centre upon arrival in Essex County.
Temporary workers were expected to begin arriving in Windsor-Essex in mid-January in anticipation of the upcoming work season.
More to come.
