As of March 21, 2021, asymptomatic temporary foreign workers (TFWs) will be able to travel directly to their place of quarantine after getting a COVID-19 test at the airport, provided they travel by private transportation and accompanied only by others who travelled with them to Canada. TFWs will need to travel by public means to a secondary location upon arrival in Canada must stay in a government-authorized accommodation and await the results of their COVID-19 test.  
The Canadian Agricultural Resource Council, CAHRC and other agencies work with the Public Health Agency of Canada to address many employers and temporary foreign workers’ operational challenges. This has to do with the COVID-19 At Home Specimen Collection kit (test kit) test taken on day ten during the mandatory 14-day quarantine period. 
Jenelle Hamblin, manager, swine health programs with Manitoba Pork said the TFWs come year-round as farms need them and now are relatively quiet. Maple Leaf and HyLife, haven’t used it much lately because of all the restrictions, but now there’s a little bit more information in place.  
“Everything is a go. Maple Leaf and HyLife have great processes with smooth sailing. It’s the independents that have more difficulty navigating the system.” 
On March 21, the government first implemented the requirement that anybody returning to Canada had to stay in a government-approved hotel for three days waiting for their COVID test results. They gave the temporary foreign workers about a month to deal with that situation and who was going to pay.  
For Ontario, there are groups sometimes that charter an airplane to bring temporary foreign workers into Canada and don’t have to isolate for the three days. 
In Manitoba, no one appears to charter an airplane but come on regular flights then go through Calgary or Toronto, and Vancouver to get here and must do the three nights stay at the hotel until they get a negative result.  
“That’s the only time that they’ll waive that is if they’re coming in on a direct charter flight with other temporary foreign workers, and those are the only other people on the plane.” 
All temporary foreign workers now, whether they do the three-night isolation or not, still have to do the quarantine when they get to the farm.  
“Any temporary foreign workers that fly into Calgary or Toronto, isolate for three days and test negative fly to Winnipeg and are taken out to the farm where they have to finish their 14-day isolation.” 
Some seasonal agricultural workers coming from third-world countries tell Hamblin it is like winning the lottery when they come here. And they only come here for four to six months usually but can earn more than what supports their family. The families get used to it because some farms have 30 of the same seasonal agricultural workers coming year after year for the last 20-30 years. And it’s what keeps their farms going.  
“And it’s what keeps the workers’ families in school, supported and well-fed and educated because they’re able to come here.” 
On some of the farms, the majority of the temporary workers become permanent residents and stay on.  
“So, definitely especially our smaller independents, those that are in remote areas where it’s hard to find anybody who wants to work there. A lot of them, all they can get is temporary foreign workers to come in and work.” •
— By Harry Siemens