Waterloo Region says the Board of Health passed a motion on Tuesday asking the Ontario government for more help for marginalized communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The agency says its data shows COVID-19 has more of an impact on minorities and those with a lower income.
“We know that COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted so many people in our community,” said Coun. Kathryn McGarry, who brought forward the motion.
“Support from the province’s High Priority Communities Strategy would help us implement a range of interventions to slow transmission in those higher risk communities and protect our most vulnerable,” she said in a statement.
Among the measures, Public Health currently operates a 54-room shelter that allows people to safely isolate from other members of their household in the event they have contracted COVID-19.
The region says Waterloo Public Health is looking for other ways to support these communities, such as mobile testing.
It says that designating these communities as a high priority would provide much-needed resources from the province to speed up the deployment of supports, as has happened in other communities.
“Racially diverse, newcomer and low-income communities have been impacted more significantly by COVID-19 than others,” said Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region’s medical officer of health.
“These types of supports will help reduce barriers for these communities to accessing services and employing COVID-19 prevention measures.”