No plan to close local workplaces in outbreak

But provincial tool is ‘definitely under review’: Hamilton’s top doctor

Hamilton public health has no immediate plans to temporarily shutter local businesses to control COVID-19 workplace outbreaks.

But public health will opt for a new mechanism under provincial legislation to do so if necessary, the city’s medical officer of health says.

“So it’s something that’s definitely under review, but we’re not doing it at this point in time,” Dr. Elizabeth Richardson told councillors Wednesday.

This week, health officials in Toronto and Peel Region announced Section 22 orders under the Health Protection and Promotion Act would take effect Friday. They will force businesses with five or more coronavirus cases in the past two weeks to close for 10 days to allow workers to self-isolate.

On Wednesday, the city’s COVID-19 website showed 13 of 43 active outbreaks involved workplaces.

In an email, Richardson told The Spectator public health is “very concerned” about a growing number of variant-related cases and outbreaks at all settings.

Variants, which originated in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa, are more transmissible and linked to more severe illness.

“While workplaces continue to be a significant driver of high rates of COVID in Peel, they account for only about 10 per cent of cases in Hamilton,” Richardson said.

In the event of outbreaks, public health works with businesses on contact tracing and case management, and offers guidance on infection control and prevention, she said.

But public health “will not hesitate to initiate stronger measures” if necessary, Richardson said. “There’s not one indicator we look at to make these decisions.”

An outbreak involving 30 cases in office staff at Connon Nurseries in Waterdown since March 29 was declared over Tuesday.

That was a relief for owner Terry Vanderkruk, who’s grateful to have healthy workers back on the job without having to shut down.

Vanderkruk praised public health’s help in curbing the outbreak, which didn’t involve workers who interact with customers. “It went very well.”

He advised businesses with cases to act quickly and transparently. “Make sure that you take it seriously because, otherwise, you’ll never get rid of it as a company.”

Vanderkruk also noted his employees have paid sick days.

That’s not the case for all in Ontario’s workforce, a gap advocates have urged the province to close to prevent employees from feeling pressured to stay on the job to pay bills despite being ill.

The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce also hopes the province steps up to help small businesses offer paid sick days.

“It would certainly be welcome for the small businesses because it’s a burden on them,” president and CEO Keanin Loomis said.

Meanwhile, the Ontario NDP continues to press Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives on the file.

“It is cruel and heartless to keep denying workers protections when we know it will condemn more people to get sick, and more people to die,” NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said in a statement Wednesday.

In an email, Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton shifted blame to the federal Liberals’ application-based sickness benefit program, which critics have assailed as too cumbersome to be effective.

“We’re disappointed that our partners in Ottawa did not use the federal budget as an opportunity to address the gaps in their program.”