A northwestern Ontario community has become a leader in the fight against COVID-19.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce says workers in the education sector are now able to be voluntarily redeployed to congregate care settings to help employees with various duties including custodial, maintenance and food preparation.
“As we speak CUPE education workers have voluntarily stepped up with their local school board to help in the hospital in Kenora.”
The first board of Ontario to offer its support is the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board.
Lecce adds “We’re encouraging folks to step up and for those that can they should. Because, as we see in Kenora, there’s a great amount of work being done by CUPE staff within the hospital in that community and that work is making a difference.”
The government order ensures these workers won’t lose their employment status with their school boards.
They can work in hospitals, long-term care homes, retirement homes, women’s shelters, and homes serving those with developmental disabilities.
Kenora is the first community in all of Ontario to take advantage of the new coronavirus measure.
