Leamington's mayor has reacted to the news that her municipality and Kingsville will not move to Stage 2 reopening with the rest of Windsor-Essex.
Premier Doug Ford announced Wednesday afternoon that the majority of the region will be allowed to advance to the Stage 2 portion of the reopening process, but due to the high number of COVID-19 cases among migrant workers in Leamington and Kingsville, those two communities will remain at Stage 1.
Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald said in a statement on Wednesday that although she was not happy with the decision, she accepted the reasoning behind it.
"To say I am disappointed is an understatement. However, as case counts continue to rise due to outbreaks among workplaces in the agri-food sector, I understand why the decision was made," said MacDonald.
MacDonald said many resources are being poured into the area to get workers tested and assessed. Another concern for her, though, is the potential financial hardship that could face Leamington the longer it stays at Stage 1.
"Local business owners are hurting and we share in that frustration, and fear that remaining in Stage One any longer will be catastrophic and cause irreparable financial harm," said MacDonald. "For that reason, I implore the provincial and federal governments to take immediate action and provide a special financial relief package to the struggling businesses in Leamington and Kingsville. Immediate assistance is necessary before there is a crippling economic impact to our communities."
Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos had not immediately responded to Tuesday's announcement by the premier. However, he did say on Monday that farmers need to step up and encourage their employees to be tested.
"Just over the past three weeks alone, our efforts with our local health-care partners have resulted in the province initiating proactive on-site targeted testing for agri-food workers in our communities," said Santos. "While this is what we have been working towards, this approach will only be successful with the full support and cooperation of the farm owners."