Food deliveries from Quebec company concern Labrador West residents
A door-to-door delivery of meat and fish to homes in Labrador West from a Quebec-based company is raising questions about how public health measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are enforced.
Last Sunday, a delivery truck from Philippe Brochu, a distribution company based in Quebec City, made doorto-door deliveries in Wabush and Labrador City. A video taken by a resident in the area shows a man leaving the truck and knocking on the door of a home while not wearing any personal protective equipment.
Labrador West MHA Jordan Brown says the issue isn’t companies coming into the area, it’s what they do when they get there.
“We don’t see that it’s appropriate to be going door to door selling goods at this time. We’re telling Girl Guides that they can’t go fundraising the traditional way that they go door to door selling cookies, so I don’t understand how we can have individuals from another province going door to door who haven’t self-isolated for 14 days selling foodstuff,” said Brown.
“If this individual wanted to go into a mall parking lot or such and set up a contactless operation to sell his wares, I’m sure the towns would be a lot more inclined.”
The Telegram has contacted Philippe Brochu for comment for this story.
Quebec has the largest number of COVID-19 cases in Canada, with 49,139 confirmed as of Thursday — over half of the total COVID-19 cases in Canada.
Wabush Mayor Ron Barron says he contacted the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary in Labrador West after receiving calls from concerned residents. Barron says the company had the appropriate paperwork from the province to be allowed into the area.
Barron says it’s one thing to have the paperwork in order, but it’s another thing to be sure companies from outside of Labrador follow the guidelines.
“There’s companies in here now bringing their workforce back in here, their restrictions are being lifted or they fall under the umbrella of some of the mining exemptions. They’re coming out of those province where we know there’s cases,” he said.
“I had a good discussion with Minister (Siobhan) Coady about that, but it’s an honour system. We have to trust them that they’re going to follow the plan that they set forth with the government. But, at the end of the day, who’s watching them? Nobody.”
A request for comment from the Department of Health and Community Services has not yet been returned.