The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is going to do whatever it can to help ensure all migrant farm workers in NOTL are tested for COVID-19, Coun. Erwin Wiens says.
The decision to test all farm workers comes from the province, after an announcement by Premier Doug Ford on Monday.
There have been no outbreaks of COVID-19 on NOTL farms. Workers at one farm in St. Catharines tested positive and hundreds of farm workers in southwestern Ontario have been infected. At least three have died.
The municipality is working to assist public health officials to set up testing, “just to make sure that we can do everything we can to keep everybody safe,” he Wiens said an interview Tuesday.
He said he thinks the testing will be done in “short order.”
“I think the province wants it done in the next few days,” Wiens said.
“As we speak, we're working on it.”
He said right now he’s working as a “liaison between the farmers and the different agencies and the town as a councillor.”
Wiens, who operates a farm in NOTL, said it’s unclear how the testing will be conducted, but that it would likely require the use of town facilities.
Lord Mayor Betty Disero echoed Wiens’ comments, noting that the testing is being done by public health officials, but that the town will assist with testing in any way it can.
