The Migrant Workers Alliance in Niagara is calling on the federal government to step up and make sure there are national housing standards for migrant workers.
The Alliance's Kit Andres says the way the system is set up right now its no wonder we have seen an outbreak of COVID-19 at a local farm.
Andres says the problem is safety protocols are being left up to individual employers and it's really increasing the pressure on employers to do the work of public health.
Andres says many workers complain they're not being given proper protective equipment while working or having safety protocols explained in their own language.
She says because it's a federal work program that brings the workers here, they need to create national housing standards so that workers know wherever they are sent the housing conditions will be dignified, clean and ensure their health and safety.
Niagara Public Health confirmed today 60 cases of COVID-19 confirmed this week stem from an outbreak of the at Pioneer Flower Farms in St. Catharines.
Another outbreak at a farm in Norfolk County has seen 164 people test positive for the virus.