Support for Temporary Foreign Workers in Ontario: Canadian Red Cross Deployment
Date: July 8, 2020
Classification: Unclassified
Fully releasable (ATIP)? Yes
Branch / Agency: EMPB
Issue:
The Canadian Red Cross has been engaged to support Temporary Foreign Workers due to a COVID outbreak in Ontario.
Proposed Response:
- The province of Ontario requested and received support from the Federal Government for the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) to set up and manage isolation sites in Windsor due to a significant outbreak of COVID-19 among temporary foreign workers (TFWs) in the Windsor-Essex Region. Significant mitigation activities are underway by all partners.
- All partners are working to isolate and support TFWs and contain the outbreak in three hotels in southern Ontario (two in Windsor, one in Leamington). Local public health, the municipality, Ontario and CRC are all playing a role in managing the isolation sites.
- CRC’s deployment continues to evolve and is going well at all three sites. The CRC focus is currently on registration and assessing non-medical needs at all three sites while continuing to work on establishing zoning protocols in the hotels.
Background:
Activities to isolate 182 TFW from the Leamington Farm who have tested negative are proceeding well under the overall coordination of ON Health. Positive cases are being monitored/isolated at their original location. CRC is fully engaged in the provision of services at the three designated hotels. CRC has completed security assessments and has begun registration and assessing non-medical needs at all three sites while continuing to work on establishing zoning protocols in the hotels.
Governance continues to evolve. Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care (MOHLTC) has the lead and will be the interface between the province and CRC. CRC is in the final stages of entering into an agreement with MOHLTC that will clarify services offered by MOH and CRC. Given urgency of action, some confusion over provincial contracting authority remains. Provincial EMO has indicated they are managing various contracts (i.e., food provision) which overlaps with the proposed CRC’s role. Coordination calls with ON MOHLTC will be re-initiated starting July 7th and will help bring clarity.
Ontario is taking steps to address risks of a broader outbreak in the region.
Key/Ongoing issues:
- CRC’s deployment continues to evolve and is going well. CRC formal funding proposal is under review by PS on an urgent basis. An overall discussion on next steps and possible requests for federal supports involving TFW outbreak beyond the current situation is likely required this week. Federal ADMs from key departments will convene the week of July 6th to discuss overall approach.
- There are ongoing internal discussions between the MOHLTC, Ontario Health, CRC and local public health to address the procedures to be taken regarding sharing of personal information between organizations, as workers housed at hotels who tested negative become positive.
- OMAFRA is working on testing plan and mapping for the region. Status of a wider testing strategy remains unclear.
- Additional outbreaks in Windsor-Essex and additional regions are suspected and are under review which will likely require further quarantining of positive farm workers and their contacts. Full scope is currently unknown.
The Canadian Red Cross’s deployment will be funded through the up to $100 million in support for the Red Cross that the Prime Minister announced on May 16, 2020. This funding was committed to support additional relief and recovery efforts this year related to COVID-19, floods and wildfires.
Contacts:
Prepared by: Peter Hoy, Senior Operations Officer, (343) 550-2515
Approved by: Patrick Tanguy, SADM, (613) 993-4325
- Date modified: