Lyonel Doherty, Times Chronicle

After two years of quarantining temporary foreign workers, the provincial government has announced it has ended the program.

With the easing of federal travel restrictions and 97 per cent of incoming workers being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the quarantine program has fulfilled its purpose.

Now, arriving workers will travel directly to their farms and it will be the employer’s responsibility to ensure federal quarantine requirements are met for those who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

The quarantine program included funding for accommodations, culturally appropriate meals, laundry, wellness walks, interpretation, and health screening.

More than 15,000 workers went through the program with 233 workers diagnosed with COVID-19 while in quarantine. 

All farms providing housing to temporary foreign workers are required to have an infection control and prevention protocol in place prior to worker arrival.

Pinder Dhaliwal, president of the BC Fruit Growers Association, characterized the quarantine program as efficient and streamlined.

“That was a big bonus because you didn’t have all these people quarantined in different places and sometimes there is that urge to cut corners.”

Dhaliwal said this didn’t happen in B.C. where everyone got their 14-day quarantine in Richmond right off the plane. 

He pointed out the majority of foreign (vaccinated) workers come back to the same farm.

However, Dhaliwal said it makes it difficult for a farm that receives an unvaccinated worker because the farmer has to bear the costs of accommodation and care during the isolation period.

“With farmers the profit margins are so tight that if the (unvaccinated) worker comes over, you have to pay almost a thousand dollars for that person, however they have given you no output for that thousand dollars.”

However, Dhaliwal is grateful for the quarantine program and the fact the majority of returning foreign workers have been vaccinated. 

Glen Lucas, general manager of the BCFGA, reported they have not had any COVID-19 outbreaks.

“The lack of COVID-19 cases is probably due to the protocols and the two-week isolation at arrival that was in place up until now.”

But Lucas pointed out the number of cases in general could increase due to reduced protocols (repeal of masking and vaccine passport) and due to the winding down of the quarantine program.  

“BCFGA members will be interested and appreciate the ‘backstop’ for ensuring the safe isolation of COVID-19 positive workers,” he said.

But Lucas noted a discrepancy in whether the safe isolation program for farm workers is still available or not.

While a government press release states the reimbursement program is still offered, Lucas questioned that, saying the application form states the program ended on March 31, 2022.

But a Ministry of Agriculture spokesperson sent the Times-Chronicle information on the BC Farm Worker Self Isolation Program that employers can apply for. It pays up to a maximum of $3,000 per worker to safely isolate in a hotel or motel.

Looking ahead, Dhaliwal said he’s optimistic the agricultural sector will bounce back to normal. 

While he isn’t worried about a labour shortage right now, he noted there is a delay in seasonal Mexican workers since there are only two people processing their applications.

“Some of the growers I know . . . their workers are three weeks late.”

Dhaliwal predicts that fruit production should be good this year. He noted the South Okanagan had a -20 cold snap for two or three days, resulting in some damage. “We’ll see what comes out here in another two or three weeks when it starts blossoming.”

He said everyone is keeping their eye on frost season to see what happens.

Dhaliwal said they are hoping the Okanagan isn’t hit with another heat wave this summer. 

“When the temperature hits 30 the tree shuts down and when that happens it’s tree survival, not fruit growth,  it wants to save itself, it doesn’t care for growing the fruit.”