WINDSOR, ONT. -- The Windsor-Essex COVID-19 Economic Task Force has developed a guidebook of “Cross-Border Tips for Manufacturing Sector Employees During COVID-19.”

The group says as regional economies across Canada and the U.S. begin to open, the necessity to safeguard our borders and our communities from COVID-19 continues to be a priority.

Also a priority is the importance of maintaining/facilitating economic trade between Canada and the U.S.

“The “Cross-Border Tips for Manufacturing Employees During COVID-19” guidebook will help ensure the safety of those employed in the manufacturing sector, as well as the rest of our fellow community members,” says Shelley Fellows, chair of Automate Canada. “We, as a sector, have continued to work together through these challenging times and it has only made us stronger.”

The task force, through two of its committees, deliberated on how best to support the movement of business travelers who are critically important to the region’s integrated supply chain.

Led by the Canadian Association of Mold Makers, Automate Canada and the Canadian Tooling and Machining Association, the Manufacturing Committee worked with the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation and the Consulate General of Canada - Detroit to develop a suite of tools and actions to support business travelers crossing the border to maintain the manufacturing supply chain in North America.

The guidebook is intended to be an evergreen document to ensure that manufacturing employees cross the border with ease and remain safe when working in a cross-border environment.

It is being released to the public Monday and is downloadable on the websites of all of the contributing partners.

“The communication and sharing of ideas and information, as in the “The “Cross-Border Tips for Manufacturing Employees During COVID-19” guidebook, is what enables us to ensure that the Manufacturing Sector continues to be an important driver for economic recovery and future prosperity,” says Richard Janik, Windsor Chapter Chair of the Canadian Tooling and Machining Association.