According to the Chair of the Norfolk Seasonal Agricultural Worker Community Committee – local migrant workers some compassion and understanding right now as they deal with a COVID-19 outbreak away from home.
Several men and women have left their home countries, where COVID-19 cases were typically much lower than Canada’s, to work in this country to provide for their family while also picking much needed produce or other crops for Canadians.
Now, as outbreaks begin to occur, Eustace Orleans-Lindsay says it is a time to try and step back and put yourselves in the shoes of these individuals.
It is a scary time and while some local migrant workers are taking the recent developments well – others are worried.
Orleans-Lindsay believes that mental health needs to be more important in all of this.
So far, much of the focus has been on the physical restrictions and the impact on the crops and less so about the impact mentally on this community.
He says even ideas brought forward with good intentions can have it’s negative consequences.
Many farmers are now asking migrant workers to stay on the farm while they go out and get groceries to reduce travel and exposure.
Orleans-Lindsay touched on many important issues regarding the migrant worker community during this process.
You can hear his full interview below.
Part 1
Part 2