A worker at a farm in King is York Region’s first confirmed COVID-19 migrant worker case.
Testing of all the workers at the farm is currently underway, according to York Region spokesperson Patrick Casey.
Southlake Regional Health Centre is assisting with onsite testing at the farm by providing a nurse and physician mobile team, Casey added.
As farms across the province have been hard hit with COVID-19 outbreaks, including in neighbouring Simcoe County, York Region is moving quickly to provide mobile testing at its farms.
“At this moment, mobile testing is being coordinated for 17 farms in York Region,” Casey said. “Mobile testing will help the individuals working at the migrant farm to get quick access to testing.”
Ontario farmers who employ temporary foreign workers were warned Monday by Premier Doug Ford to protect those workers from COVID-19 or face consequences.
The strongly worded message came as hundreds of Ontario migrant workers have been infected, particularly in Windsor-Essex, and three have died as a result of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, York Region Public Health is using mapping to target specific communities hard hit by the virus that would also benefit from mobile testing, medical officer of health Dr. Karim Kurji said in an online update Monday.
The maps are available to the public on the region’s COVID-19 website.
He continues to urge residents to practise good hygiene habits and physical distancing following last Friday’s stage 2 reopening.
“Through your efforts in physical distancing and good hygiene habits, we have managed to get the number of cases down on a daily basis,” he said.
“As the province opens up businesses, it is particularly necessary for us to be even more vigilant as we go forward. We now have to work hard at keeping our community safe.”
Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers for York Region
Of 2,914 cases (+24 today) in York Region, 80% resolved:
-
1,273 are confirmed in Vaughan, 104 deaths, 82% resolved;
-
647 in Markham, 49 deaths, 77% resolved;
-
308 in Richmond Hill, 8 deaths, 83% resolved;
-
232 in Newmarket, 22 deaths, 84% resolved;
-
151 in Georgina, 36 deaths, 69% resolved;
-
114 in Aurora, 15 deaths, 75% resolved;
-
76 in Whitchurch-Stouffville, 2 deaths, 80% resolved;
-
65 in East Gwillimbury; 1 death; 88% resolved;
-
43 in King, 3 deaths, 77% resolved.
