If farmers will not bring migrant workers to a testing centre in Leamington, health officials will take testing for COVID-19 to the migrant workers.
Responding to concerns about transportation to the Agri-food Worker Assessment Centre at the Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre, local health officials launched the "On-Farm" trial last Saturday at a greenhouse operation.
There are 176 farms in Essex County that host migrant workers. Tuesday and Wednesday, staff from a list of agencies will visit two.
A statement from Erie Shores Healthcare said last Saturday's event took 90 minutes to set up and an hour to take down. While it was open, up to 80 workers were tested each hour, compared to up to 125 at the designated centre.
A total of 40 staff from Windsor Regional Hospital, Erie Shores Healthcare, Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, Ontario Health West Region, the Erie St. Clair LHIN, paramedics, and language translators provided the service.
The cost is paid for by the farms and greenhouses that participate.
The hospital in Leamington said, "based on the pilot, it is evident that on-farm testing can be completed, but will require resources currently outside of the existing infrastructure."
Director of Communications and Public Relations at the hospital in Leamington, Arm Bumanlag admitted to BlackburnNews.com the initiative puts an additional strain on staffing at local hospitals just as they are ramping back up non-emergency procedures and surgeries.
"It's been a lot of juggling, and it's been a lot of moving employees around, but we're making it work for the people who need the help," he said.
Bumanlag was unsure if other farms had signed up, but said the agencies involved are actively engaging farmers and the Ontario Vegetable and Greenhouse Association.