Fraser Valley/Victoria – The Province is extending its quarantine program for temporary foreign workers coming to B.C. for seasonal agriculture work, to ensure the health and safety of the workers and the communities they will be travelling to.
The B.C. government will continue to fund hotel, food-service costs, laundry services, wellness walks, interpretation and translation services, health screening and other necessary supports for these workers during the quarantine period.
Information on the provincially funded quarantine program: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/covid-19-response/temporary-foreign-farmworkers
PHO guidelines and orders: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/covid-19-response/agriculture-seafood-protocol
Upon arrival in Canada, temporary foreign workers will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms by federal officials (Canadian Border Service Agency and Public Health Agency of Canada). If they have symptoms, they may be placed in quarantine at the point of entry or be sent to the hospital as per the federal Quarantine Act. If asymptomatic, workers will continue on to the provincial quarantine site for 14 days. Following the quarantine period, if no symptoms develop (or once the employee is fully recovered if symptoms do develop), workers will be safely transported to their farm.
All farms receiving workers are required to have infection control and prevention measures in place and require an on-site inspection prior to worker arrival. Farmers and farm workers must also follow all provincial health officer (PHO) guidelines, including the PHO industrial camp order, which covers B.C.’s agriculture and seafood industry.
