Canada’s Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos says more than $5 million will go towards two projects in BC through Canada’s Safe Voluntary Isolation Sites Program..One of the projects will be for agricultural workers living and working across BC to “help support agri-worker isolation needs.”.The $4,150,000 fund will go to BC’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries for an employer-based farm worker isolation program, which is aimed to support up to 1,350 workers to isolate..The second program will provide up to $930,989 in funding for one isolation site totaling 20 rooms in Surrey, BC as part of Canada’s $100 million funding for municipalities and health regions across the country to establish “safe and voluntary isolation sites.”.“Self-isolation is one of the most effective ways to help stop the spread of COVID-19,” reads a November 26 release from the Public Health Agency of Canada..“However, for some people in Canada, crowded housing conditions and high costs can make it unsafe or impossible to self-isolate, putting themselves, their families and communities at risk through no fault of their own.”.$99.7 million has been provided to establish similar sites in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia..The first site opened in Toronto in September 2020..Reid Small is a BC-based reporter for the Western Standard.,rsmall@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/reidsmall
