TOO MUCH TRAVEL
Ahmed warns federal government some people slipping through cracks
Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health for the Windsor-essex County Health Unit, called for even tighter restrictions at the Canada-u.s. border because “there are some people who are slipping through the cracks.”
The medical officer of health for Windsor and Essex County is calling on the federal government to tighten restrictions at the already nearly impermeable land crossings with Detroit to prevent more COVID-19 infections from entering the community.
Dr. Wajid Ahmed on Wednesday said that while the border is closed to all non-essential travel, “there are some people who are slipping through the cracks.” He urged the federal government to immediately shut down the border in Windsor completely, with only two exceptions: health-care workers heading to and from work, and workers transporting goods.
“If for any reason, if someone falls through the cracks upon their return, they must quarantine for 14 days, no exception,” Ahmed said.
In the last few weeks, the region has seen cases among people crossing the border who are not health-care workers, he said. They contracted COVID-19 in Michigan, then returned to Windsor and tested positive.
For anyone crossing the border who is not a health-care worker or who does not work in the transportation industry, “there should be a hard stop,” Ahmed said.
The health unit also has reason to believe there are individuals who have crossed the border but are not reporting their travel, he said.
Separately, some border crossers are deemed essential workers in the U.S., but do not meet the Canadian criteria for essential workers. That poses a problem when it comes to who needs to self-isolate, he said.
“Not having the same definition (of essential workers) on both sides of the border, it leads to confusion — we just want to give out a clear message that that is not acceptable.”
While many border-crossers were working from home at the beginning of the pandemic, they have returned to in-person work in Michigan in the months since.
“As much as we are seeing cases increasing everywhere, it is also important for us to do everything we can to keep our community safe,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed noted that within Ontario, there are guidelines discouraging residents from travelling from regions with high transmission rates to regions with low transmission rates, and vice versa. However, some residents are being allowed to travel for non-essential reasons to and from Michigan without self-isolating, a state with transmission rates much higher than Windsor-essex.
In an email to the Star, a spokesperson from the Public Health Agency of Canada did not respond to Ahmed's call for further border restrictions, but said the province can, if it chooses, impose further restrictions on border crossing “as required.”
In order for a traveller to be exempt from mandatory quarantine requirements, they said, they must meet one of 26 requirements, including performing essential work.
Travel to Canada by foreign nationals, including U.S. citizens, for tourism and recreation, remains prohibited under the current measures.
“Canadian citizens, including those who hold dual citizenship, permanent residents, and Registered Indians under the Indian Act continue to enter Canada by right,” the email said.