This article was originally shown in the Spring 2020 issue of OMAFRA’s Dairy Goat Digest
Protecting the health and safety of both industry and ministry employees who are working hard to keep our agri-food industry strong is a top concern amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs sincerely appreciates everything that you have been doing and will continue to do to ensure Ontario’s food supply system remains strong in these challenging times.
To support your efforts, our ministry is taking all the necessary steps to keep our employees healthy and safe and ensure that they are following the advice of public health authorities and Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. We expect our industry partners to take similar measures and to follow the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 Guidance for Food Premises.
Additionally, we request our industry partners to:
• Practice physical distancing wherever possible.
• Have a plan in place in the event that an employee tests positive for COVID-19, which includes plans to communicate with your staff, the local public health unit and OMAFRA.
• Ensure staff notify their manager immediately, leave the workplace, and contact their local public health authority or medical practitioner if they develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19. • Follow the advice of their local public health authority in cases where there is someone diagnosed with COVID-19
• Be prepared to implement continuity plans in the event of any potential disruptions to business practices that may result from COVID-19.
We are also pleased to share some further resources with information on steps you can take to ensure you are contributing to efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19:
Ontario Government
• Ministry of Health COVID-19 information.
• Stop the Spread Business Information Line – 1-888-444-3659 – for questions about closures of at-risk workplaces or how emergency measures may impact their operations or employment
• Public Health Ontario
