In an effort to reduce any risk of a rapid spread of COVID-19 on Elgin and Oxford county farms – as has been the case in Essex and Norfolk counties – Southwestern Public Health yesterday issued a section 22 order to protect the safety of temporary foreign workers.
The order under the Health Protection and Promotion Act requires all farms that employ these workers to comply with any direction provided by the health unit.
Dr. Joyce Lock, Medical Officer of Health at the health unit, explains the rationale behind this.
Dr. Lock stresses the order is not meant to punish farm owners.
She adds there are close to 300 temporary foreign workers in Elgin and another 700 or so in Oxford County.
