Extension of paid sick days crucial for Brampton’s fight against COVID-19

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Published December 8, 2021 at 3:18 pm

cold flu covid season brampton

Ontario’s COVID-19 Worker Income Protection Benefit is being extended, and it’s good news according to Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown.

On Tuesday (December 7), the Province announced the program, which was supposed to conclude at the end of the year, would be extended through July 31, 2022.

The decision was lauded by Brown, who pointed out a lack of paid time off significantly contributed to the spread of the virus in the early days of the pandemic.

“We saw this far too often at the beginning of the pandemic,” he said during a press conference on Wednesday. “Residents were still going to work with symptoms because they couldn’t afford to miss a paycheck.”

Brown emphasized how important the program is for Brampton, a city with a large manufacturing industry that, by its nature, is more susceptible to outbreaks of the virus.

“I’m pleased the government has extended that important benefit—it would be very problematic in areas like Brampton where we have large factories of essential workers if that tool was not available,” Brown said.

“In order to protect our progress, we need these tools available to prevent residents from having to go work when they’re sick because they can’t afford not to.”

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