Interior Health has provided an update on the temporary foreign workers (TFWs) infected with COVID-19 at an agricultural business in West Kelowna.
Media spokesperson Karl Hardt said there are 75 workers involved in this investigation – 63 migrant workers and 12 local workers.
All are self-isolating, he pointed out.
“At this time, we have 14 positive COVID-19 test results (with some additional results pending),” Hardt said.
To clarify, the quarantine order in this case applied to Bylands Nurseries Ltd. only, not the Bylands Garden Centre, which is a separate business. However, the owner of the garden centre has also elected to close this business voluntarily.
On March 27, a medical health officer (MHO) placed an order on Bylands Nurseries Ltd. that a group of temporary foreign workers residing in on-site housing are to remain in quarantine on the property.
“The MHO is confident that the risk of exposure to the general public is low. None of the workers were in roles that interact with customers and members of this group had very minimal contact in the community,” said Interior Health.
The workers live in good housing accommodations, which provide space for individuals to be self-isolated safely.
Interior Health believes the cases may be linked to a group of workers who arrived in Kelowna from outside of Canada on March 12.
