Photos courtesy of the Consulate of Mexico in Toronto.
Three thousand Mexican seasonal farmworkers in Canada have already received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Through the Embassy of Mexico in Canada, the approximately 24 thousand agricultural workers who are already on Canadian soil or who will arrive throughout 2021 will be vaccinated.
The pilot program, administered by the Ontario Ministries of Health and Agriculture, kicked off in a second stage this week at Toronto Pearson International Airport with Mexican workers from the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (PTAT) arriving by special flights, as the flights trade between Mexico and Canada are still suspended.
Additionally, about 440 farm workers in Windsor-Essex received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine this week. Vaccines will continue to be administered in the Leamington area because farm workers are a priority group.
And, according to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU), about 400 daily vaccinations will be administered at the Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Area starting next week, said Theresa Marentette, director at WECHU.
“We have agreed with the federal and provincial governments, which are actually the ones who not only administer the vaccine, but also determine the policy and criteria for applying the vaccine that all these workers are considered essential and, therefore, receive the vaccine regardless of their age range ”, explained Juan José Gómez Camacho, Mexican ambassador to Canada.
The workers’ vaccination plan responds both to the need to ensure the production and supply of food in the province, as well as to the fact that three migrant agricultural workers died after contracting Covid-19 and another 2,700 were infected after 50 outbreaks on farms.
A national plan
Ontario follows in the footsteps of other provinces when it comes to vaccinating seasonal farm workers. In mid-March, the first doses were applied in the British Columbia and Quebec regions. To date, more than 3,000 of the 11,000 farm workers in Canada have been vaccinated.
All arriving workers will be vaccinated immediately, those who are here will be vaccinated, although there is less clarity for the second dose because there is less clarity on the availability of vaccines and the government of Canada has determined that there may be a gap of up to 4 months between the first and second doses, explained Gómez Camacho.
By Silvia Méndez
A national plan
Ontario follows in the footsteps of other provinces when it comes to vaccinating seasonal farm workers. In mid-March, the first doses were applied in the British Columbia and Quebec regions. To date, more than 3,000 of the 11,000 farm workers in Canada have been vaccinated.
All arriving workers will be vaccinated immediately, those who are here will be vaccinated, although there is less clarity for the second dose because there is less clarity on the availability of vaccines and the government of Canada has determined that there may be a gap of up to 4 months between the first and second doses, said Gómez Camacho.
By Silvia Méndez
