(Jamaica Gleaner) If she was allowed to have her own way, Mildred’s (not her real name) husband would not have travelled to Canada on the overseas farm work programme this year as he has been doing for the past 19 years.
However, her pleas were ignored, and now her worst fear came to pass yesterday. She was informed that he had contracted COVID-19 and is now isolated at the farm where he works.
He is among the three dozen Jamaican farm worker COVID-19 cases in the North American country.
“I tell him not to go because the risk not worth the money, but him nuh listen,” she told The Gleaner. “We could rough it out somehow.”
Her objection to his travel plans caused strain on their relationship of almost three decades, but she believes that his pride in always providing for his family was the motivating factor for his decision to honour his contract at Greenhill Produce this year.
“All I can tell you is that he sent me a message that he is among 17 Jamaicans that tested positive for COVID, but I can only tell our eldest child … not being able to be near him or get immediate updates make it very difficult.”
When The Gleaner contacted Collette Roberts Risden, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, she confirmed that additional lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 had emerged among the migrant workers at the rural Ontario-based greenhouse operation over the last 48 hours.
“The total Jamaicans, including the first set, who have tested positive, is 36,” Roberts Risden said. “The 17 from the first set have recovered and have returned to work. However, two more (Jamaicans) tested positive on May 2 and (another) 17 on May 13.”
Greenhill Produce is a leading producer of sweet peppers, with 86 acres of high-tech greenhouses, supported by a labour pool of nearly 250 workers, including 111 migrant workers from Guatemala, Jamaica, and Mexico. Of the number, 67 of the migrant workers are Jamaicans.
According to Canadian media reports, the second outbreak has resulted in the retesting of all employees by Chatham-Kent Public Health as a precaution.
Canada has recorded more than 73,000 SARS-CoV-2 cases and almost 5,500 related deaths. Approximately half of those who have tested positive have recovered.
WELL TAKEN CARE OF
“I do hope that the Ministry of Labour, through the liaison service, is ensuring that all these farm workers who have contracted the coronavirus are being treated well and are being attended to,” said Horace Dalley, the opposition spokesman on labour, said yesterday.
Mildred said that her husband has never complained of poor treatment by the management of the family-owned operation and shares a good relationship with his superiors.
“I am not worried about his welfare. They do take care of them … . COVID is my problem and not being able to be with him,” she said.
A total of 69 employees have been infected as a result of the outbreak. Of those, 50 have fully recovered and are back at work.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security says Greenhill Produce has given the assurance that the affected workers will continue to be paid 40 hours per week and will receive full support during their recuperation.
