There are still more questions than answers as it relates to COVID-19 and temporary foreign workers in Windsor-Essex following a roundtable discussion hosted by the local health unit.
Several industry officials took part in the call fielding questions from the media on everything from accommodations of the workers to how to be proactive in stopping the spread of the virus.
When asked if anybody agrees or disagrees with the idea of mandatory mass testing for temporary foreign workers, nobody gave a straight yes or no answer.
Dr. Justine Taylor, Science & Government Relations Manager, Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers says one thing that needs to be brought to the forefront is the treatment of the workers.
According to Taylor, it's difficult enough for the workers to come to a foreign country and she wants to make sure they aren't being marginalized, especially during a pandemic.
“I think we need to be cognisant that there is a mix of both domestic and international workforce in the agri-food sector and in fact, a lot of the outbreaks that we've seen have come from the community into the farm,” she says.
Taylor says it's important for people to remember that the workers all self-isolated when entering Canada, pointing out that the cases seen here have come from the community into the farms.
"We need to put in place strategies and tools that address the entirety of the workforce and really be careful that we are not singling out a single population."
Taylor points out when it comes to accommodations, Taylor points out that it is a complicated issue and bunkhouses were not deigned with a pandemic in mind.
"We are more than happy to work with all stakeholders to address this issue,” she says. “Because I think it will be a multi-pronged effort in order to address the accommodation issue and really make sure that we are putting in place the best practices that will protect the workforce."
Participants in the call included Alberto Bernal, Consul of Mexico in Leamington, Kelly McAslan, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, Nelson Santos, Mayor, Municipality of Kingsville and Dr. Ross Moncur, CEO, Erie Shores HealthCare.
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) reported an additional 26 cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, 14 of which are migrant workers.
As heard on AM800 News Tuesday morning, the death of two temporary foreign workers in Windsor-Essex due to COVID-19 has led to a ban on workers entering the county from Mexico.