Why Ontario Farming Operations Are Pushing to Quickly Vaccinate Foreign Workers
During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, dozens of farm outbreaks were reported across Ontario, Canada, as the province struggled to test and isolate workers. More than 1,780 temporary foreign workers tested positive for COVID-19 in the province last year, and three died of the virus.
Because of that, ag officials in Ontario would like to see migrant farm workers vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as they arrive and are willing to take on the task if national lawmakers don’t, according to a recent Global News article from Canada.
Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario’s Associate Medical Officer of Health, said the province is in talks with the federal government to have the temporary foreign workers given a vaccine “when they come in, optimally at the airport.”
“We’re working with the federal government on this, hopefully they will be OK to do it,” Yaffe said. “If they don’t do it, we will probably do it because it’s important.”
Read more here.
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