Migrant farm workers line up outside the Nature Fresh Farm Recreation Centre, in Leamington, Ont., to get tested for COVID-19, on June 11, 2020.Fred Lum/the Globe and Mail
The Ontario government says Windsor-Essex will remain in Stage 2 of the province’s COVID-19 reopening strategy for the time being.
While the rest of the province has moved to the looser restrictions of Stage 3, Windsor-Essex will stay in Stage 2 until further notice.
The province says the decision is based on the advice of health experts in light of outbreaks among farm workers.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says the region will move to Stage 3 only when it’s safe to do so.
The province says it is monitoring local transmission of COVID-19 and will support efforts to contain its spread.
It says outbreaks, especially in agriculture and agri-food sectors, pose unique challenges.
“We are working hard with our federal and local partners to provide the communities in Windsor-Essex with the support they need during their reopening,” Elliott said in a statement.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canadians can now begin downloading a smartphone app meant to warn users they’ve been near someone who tests positive for COVID-19. He says it is voluntary and does not collect any personal information and the more people who sign up to use it, the better it will be able to trace – and help to slow – the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Canadian Press
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