The City of Windsor is going to step away from operating the Isolation and Recovery Centre for temporary foreign workers.
Council approved a recommendation from city administration Monday to withdraw from operating the IRC effective June 20, 2022, if not sooner.
Over the course of the past 19 months, City staff have been redeployed to the IRC and senior positrons such as Commissioner and Fire Chief have led and supported the IRC. However, the report from administration says this response has impacted the ability of staff to address regular city and regional business.
The report also states with the crisis portion of the issue being over and a system in place for another to emulate, it just make sense to hand off so staff can focus on their own work again.
As part of the recommendation approved by Council, the Commissioner of Human and Health Services has been directed to advise the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit of the change and encourage the health unit to champion an alternative entity to operate the IRC, if the health unit deems it essential.
A formal written request will also be sent to the County of Essex, Town of Kingsville and Town of Leamington to operate the IRC effective July 1, 2022 or sooner.
The City has been operating the IRC since the summer of 2020 to help migrant farm workers in the region isolate as a result of a positive COVID-19 test.