Health-care workers who cross border to U.S. hospitals to get gift cards

The U.S. Consulate General will be stationed in Windsor Tuesday, to help hand out restaurant gift cards to Canadian health-care workers who cross the border to care for Americans in Detroit-area hospitals during the COVID -19 pandemic.

“The gift card initiative will offer each health-care worker a break in the form of coffee, breakfast or lunch, and also provides a boost to Windsor’s food and beverage industry,” a media advisory from the U.S. Consulate in Toronto says.

Tuesday is International Nurses Day, so the consulate is asking Windsor-area health-care workers to “Take a Break on US.”

U.S. Consul General Greg Stanford will be joined by Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. Officials and volunteers will distribute 900 cards — redeemable at a number of independently owned local restaurants — at the Ambassador Bridge and the Windsor-detroit Tunnel.

At the bridge, cards will be distributed from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. on the U.S. side at the toll booths to capture workers going in for day shifts, and from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. on the Canadian side at the eastern end of the CBSA booths to capture people returning from night shifts.

In the afternoon, distribution will happen from 1 to 3 p.m. on the U.S. side and from 3 to 4 p.m. on the Canadian side.

At the tunnel, cards will be distributed to U.s.-bound workers from 5 to 8 a.m. at the toll booths on the Canadian side, and to Canada-bound workers from 7 to 8 a.m., after leaving the CBSA booths before they turn onto Park Street. The situation will be mirrored in the afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m.

The workers will be asked to show identification.