B.C.’s top doctor says the protocols to keep temporary foreign workers safe before they’re allowed on the job in the province have been working.
Dr. Bonnie Henry says all temporary foreign workers have been housed in hotels in the Lower Mainland since an outbreak at a West Kelowna nursery at the end of March, where 23 workers tested positive for COVID-19.
“And we made sure that they had what they needed so they could successful quarantine. That has kept up in good step,” she said.
“A number of the cases we had in the last month, I think we were up to 28 people who have come in who tested positive for COVID-19 while in quarantine. Those are potential outbreaks that could have happened on farms.”
Henry says the rules for TFW’s in B.C. have also helped support the workers as well as protect the communities they would have been working in.
“Even the best of farms, the accommodations could be challenging to keep people safely quarantined,” Henry said.
“It has been very effective for us and I think it is a very important piece of how we have managed this, both to support the workers, so that they get the care that they need, but also to protect our communities.”
All seasonal fruit pickers will also need to take a new online COVID-19 awareness course through AgSafe which outlines the rights and responsibilities of both employers and workers and guidelines from Dr. Henry.
“In B.C. the agriculture community has worked hard to meet the COVID-19 outbreak head on,” said Wendy Bennett, executive director, AgSafe, in a statement.
“It is our responsibility to employers and workers in B.C. to provide them with accurate information and useable resources. The COVID-19 awareness course will help keep workplace and communities safe.”
The province is also giving $172,000 to authorities in the Okanagan-Similkameen and Creston Valley-Kootenay Lake regions to support camping accommodations for these workers to ensure they meet health and safety standards.
“Domestic temporary workers are a designated essential service and they are a crucial and appreciated resource in maintaining part of the food supply system,” added Karla Kozakevich, chair of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, in a statement.
These campsite accommodations are also being considered in Summerland, Osoyoos, Naramata, and the Similkameen.
