CBC Windsor June 23 COVID-19 update: Health unit fires back after mayor slams them over reopening

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit reported 32 new cases of COVID-19 in our region Tuesday, a day after the province announced Windsor-Essex would not move into Stage 2 of reopening due to high numbers of cases.

In a daily video briefing that the health unit brought back in light of this announcement, officials fought back after Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkensblamed the organization Monday for not doing more.

"Rather than leadership, we are witnessing finger pointing and deflection to our health unit which has done nothing but work tirelessly over the last few months," saidTecumseh MayorGary McNamara, who is also chair on the board of health.

"To just slam the health unit because it's theirfault, listen you haveto take a step back....It's not becauseof Dr. [Wajid] Ahmed that we didn't open up."

As medical officer of health, Dr. Wajid Ahmed provides the Ontario government with data and analysis about how the region is tracking with COVID-19. However, Ontario health officials make the final call about how the region moves forward with reopening based on that data.

The province has said it is the high rates of COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex that has prevented the region from entering Stage 2 of reopening.

WATCH | The health unit's COVID-19 update for June 23, live at 9:30 a.m.:

"We can't have this dithering, the health unit should have stepped in long ago, mandated things to happen, used Section 22 of the power of their act the power that's granted under that, and made things happen," Dilkens said during a Monday press briefing.

Windsor'smayor is referring to a section of Ontario'sHealth Protection and Promotion Act, which allows local medical officers of health to issue orders when acommunicable disease is present in the community. It's unclear, specifically, what sort of order the mayor would have liked to see issued.

Near the end of May, the health unitissued a classorder for allfarms in the region that employ temporary foreign workers that included ensuring workers were employed by only one workplace, information was provided to limit the spread of the virus, and that all directivesfrom the health unit were being followed at said workplaces.

"I don't mind being loud and vocal and speaking up for the people in mycommunity and the businesses here and I intend to do that each and everyday because what's happening here is just not right," said Dilkens.

"It is hard to hear the comments about our health unit especially for our staff who have remained committed to our community through this pandemic," said CEO and chief nursing officerTheresa Marentette.

Marantette said the health unit has been proactive when acting onrecommendations from the province, and has often taken a harder stance when it comes to public health recommendations for the area since the onset of the pandemic.

McNamara said the pandemic calls for leadership on all levels of government to be working together.

"Let us be clear, this is aglobal pandemic one that we have not experienced in any of our lifetime and we are all learning together and we should all be learning together."

Mandatory testing of farm workers is not legal and not something the province has endorsed, saidMcNamara, explaining that more testing will mean higher rates of the disease.

On Tuesday during his daily briefing, Premier Doug Ford said he wanted to "give a shout out" to Dr. Ahmed.

"He's doing a great job, he's taking a lot of heat right now but he's working his back off," said Ford.

"To the folks of Windsor-Essex, we're going to get back on track and we're going to do it as quickly as possible with the support of the farmers and the workers."

Of the 32 new cases reported Tuesday,30 are agri-farm workers and two are community cases. CBC News estimates that roughly 470 agr-farm workers have tested positive for COVID-19 in the region. Over the past few weeks, outbreaks on farms have been the major driver of the currently high rates of the disease in the community.

"Testing every person in a farm will not get us to Stage 2," said McNamara."Everybody here feels this pressure and the pain of this pandemic. We're all in this together."

On Monday, Ford saidfarmers in the area are not co-operating with the province when it comes to getting their workers tested.

"It's totally unfair to the people of Windsor-Essex ... I feel sorry for them I really do," said Ford. "Farmers are not co-operating. They're not sending people out to get tested."

Ahmedsaid the increase in cases among farm workers is in part due to the increased testing for those workers and because of shared accommodations for temporary foreign workers making the spread of the virus much easier.

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.

In Essex County, seven workplaces in the industry are under an outbreak.

Calls for Windsor-Essex regional reopening

Ahmed said politicians should consider a regional reopening for Windsor-Essex, given the community cases of the disease have decreased over recent weeks.

It's something the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce also wants the province to allow.

The chamber said the city should move to Stage 2, while Leamington and Kingsville stay behind in Stage 1.

In a statement, president Rakesh Naidu says a "selective reopening" will ensure most of the businesses in the region get to reopen safely. He says the provincially-mandated lockdown has been going on for 15 weeks, and some businesses are being pushed toward the point of no return.

• Somebusinesses plan on reopening on Canada Day, with or without provincial approval

Some business owners in Windsor-Essex are currently discussing a possible July 1 protest, in the event that the province continues to prohibit the region from entering Stage 2, according to the president of the Erie Street BIA.

Filip Rocca, who also ownsMezzo Ristoranteon Erie Street East, said a formal protest hasn't been organized just yet, but did say that owners of some hair salons, barbershops, restaurants and gyms in the region havestarted communicating about the effort on Facebook.

"It seems like Windsor's just sitting back and not doing nothing about it," Rocca said. "I think it's time for us to stand up and demand that we reopen."

According to Rocca, a "few hundred" people are already onboard for the July 1 protest, addingthe goal is to get participants from across Windsor-Essex, and not just the city proper.

Testing centres

Testing is available at two assessment centres in Windsor-Essex.

Theassessment centre at theOuellette campus of Windsor Regional Hospital, next to the Emergency Department, is open9 a.m. to 6p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Theassessment centre at Erie Shores HealthCareis open from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

COVID-19 in Sarnia-Lambton

Lambton Public Health reported 285confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region. Overall, there have been 25 deaths.

Another 245people have recovered.

Bluewater Health is under an outbreak after fourstaff 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.

Anoutbreak atVision Nursing Home in Sarnia has ended. Twenty-six residents and28 staff at the facility had tested positive for the disease. Ten residents at the facility havedied.

COVID-19 in Chatham-Kent

Chatham-Kent's health unit reported 157totalcases of COVID-19 for the region.

An outbreak at Greenhill Produce has ended.

There were103workers at the facility who hadtested positive. Theoutbreak 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 147people have recovered.