Measures in Place to Prevent COVID-19 Exposure at Windsor Port Authority

The Windsor Port Authority is taking some extra precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19 as ships arrive in the port.

The authority employs 846 people and it continues to operate to keep the economy moving as 90 per cent of everything we touch or buy comes in on a ship.

"International ships, 96 hours before they enter international waters off the coast of Canada must declare if anyone was ill or if there is any suspicious of COVID-19 and if there is, they are quarantined," says Authority CEO Steve Salmons.

He says a concern about international ships bringing the virus into Canada was overblown and has been addressed as crews are asked about their health conditions before entering international waters off the coast of Canada.

"Typically when a ship comes into port, workers are entitled to leave for personal needs to get food, clothing or recreational, that has been suspended,  so the ship fares are not permitted to enter the community during this crisis."

Salmons says typically when a ship enters a port, the crew are allowed to disembark, but that's no longer the case.

"I think the early concerns about importing the virus into our communities was overblown, we have now learned that the greater concerns is their ship staff being infected by our community."

Salmons points out the first salty arrived in Windsor this week from the Netherlands.