Hospital To Mass Test 8,000 Local Migrant Workers After Second COVID-19 Worker Death In Windsor Essex

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Windsor Regional Hospital will begin mass testing migrant workers for COVID-19 in Windsor Essex after the region’s second death of a migrant worker.

Hospital officials confirmed, Saturday morning, the death of a 24-year-old migrant worker. In a statement, officials say the man died at Windsor Regional Hospital on Friday after first going to Erie Shores Hospital on June 1st, 2020, from a hotel he was self-isolating at. Officials say the hospital has contacted the man’s family in Mexico.

“The hospital sends its prayers to this young man, his family as well as that of the 31- year-old migrant worker who also passed away this week due to COVID-19,” the statement said.

Officials say the coroner’s office has been notified.

Windsor Regional announced Saturday they will begin mass testing starting Tuesday, June 9th under the direction of Ontario Health.

“The following partners have assembled a team to begin mass swabbing of migrant workers in Windsor-Essex:” the statement said, “Windsor Regional Hospital, Essex-Windsor EMS, Erie Shores Healthcare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, Windsor Essex Community Health Centre, Home and Community Care ESC/Ontario Health West Region and Canadian Mental Health Association Windsor-Essex. This swabbing is also supported by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, the Municipality of Leamington and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.”

The hospital says the mass testing will take place over a 10 to 14 day period, with a goal of swabbing each of the approximately 8,000 migrant workers in the region.

Officials say the testing follows the proactive health assessments by Erie Shores Healthcare and Essex-Windsor EMS on the currently positive COVID-19 migrant workers.