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Seasonal Worker Program

COVID-19: Impacts on the Seasonal Worker Program

 

There have been some important changes to the Seasonal Worker program that effect the upcoming year. Please read below. 

BCAC and WALI are working with governments and industry partners to address the impacts of COVID-19 on B.C. agriculture and temporary foreign worker programs. The latest COVID-19 information from WALI is available on their website. 

 

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has created a checklist for the control of COVID-19 in agricultural facilities. This checklist is intended to help prevent the introduction and spread of COVID-19 in agricultural settings. by laying out guidelines for quarantine, assessment and control plans.

 

Word of Caution for B.C. Employers
Please remember that some information included in updates from the federal government (e.g., Employment and Social Development Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) or national industry organizations regarding quarantine and COVID testing procedure may not apply in B.C. because of the provincial quarantine program. Please refer to the WALI website for links to the most current information applicable in our province. 

 

COVID-19 INFORMATION-  2022 SEASON

 

CRITICAL INFORMATION

The provincially funded and operated quarantine facility in Richmond is shutting down at the end of March. B.C. employers will now be responsible for all quarantine on-arrival requirements that were previously met by the provincial facility (requirements that have been in place for the duration of the pandemic). ALL temporary foreign workers (TFWs) who are not fully vaccinated arriving after March 15th must quarantine in facilities provided by employers. 

Employer Quarantine Responsibility

Employers will be responsible for providing workers with quarantine accommodations for 14 days as required by the federal government. Workers in quarantine must avoid contact with others who they did not travel with. Employers must provide workers with:

  • Adequate quarantine accommodations.
  • Potable water, regular and nutritious meals, and any required medication(s).
  • A means of communicating with the outside world.
  • Wages for a minimum of 30 hours per week.
  • Daily health checks.
  • A safe means of accessing appropriate health care should the worker develop symptoms or health issues while in quarantine.

Employers are required to notify Service Canada by email when TFWs arrive at the farm (refer to this email sent by Service Canada relating to TFW travel). For more information visit the Service Canada website.
 
Fully Vaccinated Workers – No Change
Refer to the February 18th WALI update for more information.
 
ArriveCan
Workers will now have to enter the farm address and quarantine information into ArriveCan. If you have direct contact with your workers, please help them complete this section of the ArriveCan app. WALI is working with governments to see how we can help workers get these details into the app.
 
On Arrival Testing
Unvaccinated TFWs arriving in Canada will be instructed to take a Day 1 COVID-19 test and will be given a take-home test kit to self-administer on Day 8. Fully vaccinated TFWs may be randomly selected for a Day 1 test but will not be given a take-home test kit. TFWs who have trouble accessing their test results can call the BCCDC COVID-19 Test Result line at 1-833-707-2792 (press 1 for a translator; press 3 if the individual does not have a Personal Health Number).
 
COVID-19 Housing Inspection
The additional provincial housing inspection for COVID-19 safety is ending as of March 31st.  Employers must have a communicable disease plan and a COVID-19 safety plan in place. WorkSafeBC will continue doing inspections for these plans.
 
Funding Support
The provincial funding support for TFW self-isolation provided by the B.C. Farm Worker Safe Isolation Program is continuing through 2022.

 

SUBSCRIBE: Producers who employ or are expecting the arrival of temporary foreign workers through the SAWP and/or AgStream programs, please subscribe to the WALI Update email list to receive relevant COVID-19 updates and information. More COVID-19 resources are available on the WALI website.