Farm workers in limbo after shutdown at local farm

Essex County officials were scrambling Thursday to figure out where to put hundreds of migrant workers required to isolate after the health unit essentially shut down a Leamington farm overrun with COVID-19.

“We’re working on that with the farm and the Ministry of Health right now, working on isolation accommodations and making sure that everything is in place to isolate appropriately and allow the health unit to follow up with everyone,” said Theresa Marentette, CEO of the Windsor-essex County Health Unit.

More than 670 migrant farm workers have tested positive for COVID-19 in Essex County, including 191 at one farm last weekend.

In a move that Premier Doug Ford criticized on Thursday, the health unit effectively shut down that farm temporarily by issuing an order for all of its employees to stop working and go into isolation.

The health unit still won’t name the farm. Ford also refused to identify it during a media conference at Queen’s Park.

But multiple sources told the Star it is Nature Fresh in Leamington, which volunteered to have its workers tested. Nature Fresh owner Peter Quiring did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday.

“The cases associated with this farm represent approximately 25 per cent of the total cases identified to date among farm workers,” said Marentette.

There are currently COVID-19 outbreaks at two farms in Leamington and two in Kingsville, according to the health unit.

Two of the 68 deaths from COVID-19 in Essex County have been migrant farm workers. Of the three new cases of COVID -19 confirmed Thursday — bringing the local total to 1,614 — two are in the agricultural farm sector.

Marentette said she didn’t know if similar orders might be in store for other farms, but stressed Ahmed has the authority to give them.

“I would say that every farm scenario is a little different and I think, as always, he will make the best decision for the protection of the workers in our community,” she said.

Ahmed, who usually leads the health unit’s daily COVID-19 updates, did not attend Thursday’s briefing.

Marentette said the health unit order did not specifically require the farm in question to shut down.

“The order is specifically to putting workers in isolation,” she said. “So the workers, the positive and the negative workers and the contacts of positive cases are not working. They’re in isolation.”

But she did confirm the farm is not allowed to hire new people to replace the ones who have had to stop working. Despite that, Marentette said she didn’t know if the farm was operating.

In issuing his order, under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, Ahmed overstepped a ruling from Ford last week that farms can keep asymptomatic COVID -19 positive workers on the job.

On Thursday, Essex MPP Taras Natyshak called for Ford to reverse that policy. More than 700 healthcare workers have signed an open letter asking for the same.

Natyshak also said the government must develop plans to ensure migrant workers get sick pay, pandemic pay and adequate accommodation so they can safely isolate when necessary.

“Anyone with COVID -19 should be isolating, not on the job,” said Natyshak. “Ontario desperately needs a plan that ensures workers have paid sick time and a place where they can safely isolate.”

Ford was asked during Thursday’s media conference if he would reverse his previous announcement after Ahmed made his move.

“That’s strictly up to the chief medical officer Dr. Ahmed down in the Essex area,” he said.

But later in the conference, he criticized Ahmed.

“The farmers, the poor gentleman, after saying he could put them back to work, all of a sudden they shut down the farm,” said Ford.

“I understand where the chief medical officer is, but do you think that encourages other farmers to co-operate when all of a sudden one of their friends gets their farm shut down like that?”

Ford said he also wanted to deliver a “critical message” to migrant workers that they won’t be sent home, after most at the farm who tested positive “hid” when officials came to re-test them.

“All the workers went and hid,” said Ford. “We were able to test three or four out of 190.”

Ford said he thinks the workers are “terrified” they’ll be sent home. He said that won’t happen and they will be paid, “so there’s no reason to hide.”

“Just let the medical professionals do their job and we’ll get back and up and running again,” he said. “You’ll be able to get back to work, the farmers will be able to move forward with their businesses.”

I understand where the chief medical officer is, but do you think that encourages other farmers to co-operate when all of a sudden one of their friends gets their farm shut down like that?