Article content continued

There have been concerns raised about the risk posed by an estimated 1,600 health-care workers commuting to their Canadian homes and potentially spreading the virus here, as well as veiled suggestions that their cross-border trips could be halted in retaliation to Trump-led efforts to stop medical shipments being sent outside the U.S. — including to Canada.

“Frankly, if Canada responded by closing the border to essential health-care workers in response to the president, then more people would die in Detroit. That’s as simple as I can put it,” Dilkens said.

“This discussion about closing the border really should just stop,” Dilkens said. “We can’t destroy the Detroit and Michigan health-care system and put more lives at risk. It would be inhumane.”

Dilkens said that Stanford understands the importance of Windsor-based health-care workers in Detroit. He also understands Canada’s position that trade needs to continue to flow so Canadian hospitals and other organizations can get the protective equipment and other supplies needed to fight COVID-19.

Photo by Nick Brancaccio / Windsor Star

Dilkens said he believes there has been an over-emphasis on the risk posed by Windsor-based hospital workers going back and forth from Detroit. While local statistics show that roughly one-third of COVID-19 cases are health-care workers, the majority are working in Windsor, he noted.

The mayor said recent decisions by Windsor hospitals — requiring their workers who also work in Michigan to pick a single employer — helped make the cross-border risks less of an issue.