Rempel Garner: Fix the quarantine and testing requirements for international farm workers

Conservative Shadow Minister of Health Michelle Rempel Garner and Shadow Minister for Agriculture Lianne Rood sent a letter to the Liberal Health and Agriculture Ministers on Wednesday

ADVERTISEMENT
Image
Roberto Wakerell-Cruz Montreal QC
ADVERTISEMENT

Conservative Shadow Minister of Health Michelle Rempel Garner and Shadow Minister for Agriculture Lianne Rood sent a letter to the Liberal Health and Agriculture Ministers on Wednesday, calling for immediate repairs to the quarantine and testing requirements for international farm workers.

The letter criticizes the "comprehensive plan" released by Liberal Minister of Employment Carla Qualtrough, saying that it failed to address issues raised by farmers and foreign workers "such as the follow-up COVID-19 test at day 10 following international farm workers entering Canada."

"Under the current requirements, international travellers and workers must register with a nurse to complete an at-home COVID-19 test 10 days after their arrival in Canada, and send their test for processing by mail while they continue to complete the mandatory 14-day quarantine. These requirements assume one's ability to communicate with a nurse, and to access mail delivery services," the statement reads.

The letter lists out issues in the Liberals' plans, as identified by stakeholders, including:

  • Farmers and their workers phoning into the government line to speak with a nurse are facing lengthy wait times;
  • Many international farm workers only speak Spanish, creating a language barrier with contracted nurses;
  • Stakeholders claim that sometimes the use of translators is being refused in some situations due to privacy concerns;
  • Where tests are successfully taken, workers are instructed to send in their tests by Purolator courier service. However, in rural Canada, these services may be limited and unavailable on weekends. This means that completed tests, which are deemed to be reliable for 48 hours, cannot be delivered to PHAC in the specified time window; and
  • Farmers are concerned that they could be put in violation of quarantine rules due to lack of access to Purolator services in rural Canada, putting them at risk of facing $100,000 fines.

"While all Canadians who return from international travel are facing these challenges, this program fails to respond to the unique accessibility needs of rural Canadians. International farm workers play a key role in the production of the food that feeds our country, and the challenges presented by this government’s new, confusing quarantine program could put our supply chain at risk," the letter concludes.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in to comment

Comments

Powered by StructureCMS™ Comments

Join and support independent free thinkers!

We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.

Support The Post Millennial

Remind me next month

To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 The Post Millennial, Privacy Policy