Federal Funding for Agri-Worker Isolation and Recovery Centre Extended
The Government of Canada today announced it is providing $4.2 million for the Corporation of the County of Essex to continue to administer a safe voluntary isolation site for temporary foreign agri-workers in the Windsor-Essex region.
Irek Kusmierczyk, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, made the announcement in Tecumseh.
“This funding will help ensure the health and wellbeing of the workers so crucial to our local economy and the production of a stable food supply, and it will help to protect the broader community from the spread of COVID-19,” said Essex County Warden Gary McNamara, who is also mayor of Tecumseh. “The County of Essex thanks the federal government for its support and continued investments in Windsor-Essex.”
The $4.2 million will allow the County of Essex to operate 50 rooms at one site for temporary foreign agri-workers until March 31, 2023. The site was previously operated by the City of Windsor.
“As Essex continues to welcome thousands of incoming agricultural workers in the coming weeks and months, this critical federal funding will provide spaces for those who are unable to isolate safely in the community,” Kusmierczyk said. “Thank you to Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and the federal government for recognizing the unique challenges our community faces and always standing up for Windsor-Essex.”
The Safe Voluntary Isolation Sites Program (SVISP) directly supports cities, municipalities, and health regions across Canada that are at-risk of COVID-19 community transmission. The sites funded through the SVISP provide an accessible location where people can safely isolate for the required period. Access to these sites is completely voluntary and local public health officials determine eligibility and manage all aspects of the sites.
Through SVISP, the Government of Canada has made over $181 million available over three years to keep municipalities and health regions safe and has funded projects in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
“Protecting communities from COVID-19 and helping to stop its spread continues to be a priority for our government. The operation of this safe voluntary isolation site in Windsor-Essex is essential to help protect temporary foreign workers and the community from the spread of COVID-19 and variants of concern,” Minister of Health Duclos said.
