A Windsor-area Member of Parliament has called upon the federal government to extend protection to health care workers who cross the border to Detroit for work.
Windsor West MP Brian Masse, the NDP critic on innovation, science, development and the auto industry, wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, reminding him of the unique challenges being faced by Windsor-area health care workers who cross the border to Michigan for work, and vice versa.
"Healthcare workers are on the front lines fighting for all of us during this outbreak," wrote Masse. "They are also our last line of defence against the virus and must be protected from negative impacts and supported to ameliorate the additional demands placed on them during this extraordinary time."
Cross-border workers in the area are facing additional risks as the state of Michigan has reported over 21,000 thousand cases of COVID-19. As of Thursday evening, 1,076 people have died from the virus or complications from it. In comparison, the province of Ontario reported just 5,700 cases at that time with 200 deaths.
Masse indicated in his letter to Trudeau that he is aware cross-border workers are being provided kits from the Canadian Border Services Agency, which include a mask, a letter, and an orange placard for the vehicle to indicate the driver is an essential worker.
Among the measures Masse called for are the restoration of lost income for health care workers asked to choose which side of the border to stay on, hotel accommodations paid for by the federal government, the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), job security, long-term access to mental health services, and an anonymous communication portal from Health Canada so health care workers can ask questions and express concerns.
