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Conservative's Call For Rapid Testing Pilot For Agriculture

There's a renewed push on Ottawa to do more when it comes to streamlining the process for international farm workers when it comes to COVID.
 
The Conservative Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Lianne Rood feels more needs to be done to reduce the isolation times for workers when they arrive.
 
"Something I've been asking the Federal Health Minister for, and also Provincial Health Ministers, is a rapid testing pilot project for instance for workers. Particularly in fruit and vegetables who are coming into greenhouses and starting the season in January."
 
Rood says we can't have a repeat of last year when a farmer lost his entire crop of cucumbers because the entire group of workers he had there had to isolate for two weeks and no one was allowed into the green houses.
 
She notes international farm workers designated to help in greenhouses are starting to arrive now.
 
The Liberals have issued a blanket requirement for all international travellers, including farm workers, to test negative for COVID before boarding a flight to Canada, but she says they've done nothing to reduce the isolation times for workers when they arrive.
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