WINDSOR, ONT. -- Windsor-Essex is one of three regions in the province not allowed to move to Stage 2 of reopening.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Monday that seven more regions are moving forward to the next phase, but Windsor-Essex, Toronto and Peel are not ready yet.
“I just asked the people in Windsor to please be patient and we’re going to be able to get there very, very soon,” says Ford.
Ford talked with Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens over the weekend about the high number of COVID-19 cases in the agri-farm sector in Windsor-Essex.
“I had a great conversation over the weekend,” says Ford. “I think it’s so, so important that we test anywhere that has an outbreak.”
Ford says he wants to be clear it’s not the migrant workers’ fault.
“They came here, they self-isolated for two weeks and they picked it up since they've been here,” says Ford. “So I don't want any finger pointing at these hard-working migrant workers. They're good people, they mean well, and they're hard workers too.”
Health Minister Christine Elliott says they have been reviewing the case counts for the regions.
Windsor-Essex had seven new cases on Monday, 12 on Sunday and 46 on Saturday. Many of the new cases have been with migrant workers in the agri-farm sector.
“We just need to get the numbers down a little bit more,” says Elliott.
Ford says another announcement will be made next Monday to determine if the remaining regions will be allowed to proceed by June 26.
“I can’t put an exact date, but it would be ideal if we could do it by (next) Friday,” says Ford.
Nearby Chatham-Kent and London regions entered the second stage last Friday. This is the updated list of regions in the next stage.
The next stage allows patios, hair salons and malls to reopen, with COVID-19 protocol in place. Here’s the full list of the businesses allowed to reopen in Stage 2.
Ford said he will announce at the beginning of each week which regions are ready to move ahead.
The premier’s announcement was at 1 p.m. at Queen's Park, with Elliott, Finance Minister Rod Phillips, Minister of Economic Development Vic Fedeli and Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries Lisa MacLeod.
Windsor-Essex entered Stage 1 of the reopening plan on May 19 with the rest of the province.
