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queensauto.ca Vol. 12, Issue 51
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
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PLAYING A LITTLE PUCK
WHEATLEY — Dozens of families braved the cold temperatures on Saturday, January 15, donning the skates for some shinny hockey and leisurely skating on many local frozen ponds and waterways. These youngsters enjoyed some hockey on the west branch of Two Creeks behind Pier Road,
with plenty of space for everyone to set up a game or two. Sunday’s weather was even better with sunshine and a high of -1. With the current lockdown situation, it’s good to know that families can still find a way to get in some fun outdoor activities. SUN photo by Deanna Bertrand
Influx of foreign workers halted by health unit, then reversed By Mark Ribble WINDSOR-ESSEX — A letter of instruction issued on Wednesday, January 12 by the Windsor Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) put a temporary pause to Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) arrivals in the area. The WECHU then rescinded the letter late Friday, January 14. Citing skyrocketing COVID case numbers for TFWs in Windsor-Essex, Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, acting Medical Officer of Health for the region, issued the letter of instruction effective at 12:01 am on Thursday, January 13. The letter encompasses over 1,000 different farm operations in Windsor-Essex that employ TFWs and would have been in effect for at least three weeks. “There is a public health emergency in Windsor-Essex,” said Dr. Nesathurai. “The burden of COVID among migrant farm workers exceeds our capacity to isolate them.” With that, he announced the pausing of arrivals of any foreign workers to Windsor-Essex until at least February 2. Friday’s statement effectively reversed the decision. “Throughout the week the
health unit has worked with all ing isolation accommodation and levels of government to formulate that the health unit has procured a resolution to this issue,” said three additional hotels to handle the statement. “With the concert- the overflow, but those are filling ed efforts of local leaders in the up fast. healthcare, housing and social Friday’s statement indicated service community, the region that more hotels had been procollectively was able to establish cured and isolation issues found the level of support necessary to some relief. meet isolation requirements for The problem, according to Dr. workers who are sick Nesathurai, is that or who have been exthe workers cannot “They’re posed. As a result of this self-isolate very easincreased capacity for coming back ily on most farms, isolation, the health unit and he worries that has rescinded the letter.” because they once the virus takes In recent weeks, eight hold, those farms agricultural farm opera- love it here.” will be greatly aftions had been declared fected. — Joe in COVID outbreak. “Temporary ForThis encompassed 15 eign Workers conSbrocchi bunkhouses and forced tribute immensely an isolation of about 275 to our community,” people. he said. “They spend their hardThe Windsor-Essex Isolation earned dollars here. With no isoCentre, which has capacity for lation available, it would only be about 115 TFWs, was virtually a matter of time before the virus empty January 5. It is now at ca- muliplies even further in the pacity, according the health unit. community.” “We now have over 10 per cent Prior to the rescinding of the of our Temporary Foreign Work- letter, Joe Sbrocchi, General Maners who are in self-isolation,” said ager of the Ontario Greenhouse Dr. Nesathurai. “We are running Vegetable Growers (OGCG), said out of space for them to isolate.” that the health unit’s numbers He said there were about 40 were misleading and the letter of additional people who are await- instruction would have been di-
sastrous to the industry. “Out of the 275 temporary foreign workers that are currently isolating, about 31 of them have actually tested positive for COVID and none of them have severe symptoms,” he said Friday morning. “Where’s the common sense?” Sbrocchi said that the announcement on Wednesday came as a total surprise to his organization and area growers. “They never consulted us or called us at all,” he said. “I’ve not heard from the good doctor.” “The workers that are returning here are 95 percent (or more) double vaccinated,” he said. “They’re coming back because they love it here.” “We disagree with many of the numbers put out by the health unit,” he added. According to OGVG records, for vegetable growers only, there are currently 1,000-1,200 workers here and another 700-900 would have been affected by the paused arrivals. Sbrocchi says the farms can better handle the situation themselves. “We can take better care of those people on the farms, ” he said.
