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Asked to cite examples of where local efforts have fallen short, MacDonald points to the Red Cross being accused of, initially at least, not providing sufficient food for foreign workers placed into hotel quarantine. Another example, cited by Santos, was Emergency Management Ontario, in response to a major COVID-19 outbreak at Nature Fresh Farms, beginning its work at the farm but not even announcing its presence to local authorities for the first two days it was in town.

“That was very interesting,” said Santos. He described the EMAT as “that one quarterback” that local leaders had been clamouring for to provide an overall guiding hand.

The fear among local leaders, including Windsor’s mayor, is that the situation on area farms, if not improved soon, could threaten local municipalities seeking provincial approval to move to Stage 3, or even put into jeopardy the local area’s only recently achieved Stage 2 status, which permitted limited openings of businesses.

“Unless we take some strong measures, we’ll circle the drain on this for months and months,” said MacDonald. “I don’t want to do that for my community’s morale and my community’s businesses.”

Leamington’s mayor this week, in letters to Premier Doug Ford and his ministers of agriculture and labour, repeated local calls (begun a month ago by Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens) to make mandatory coronavirus testing a condition of employment on local farms. Having such a requirement, said MacDonald, would also cover the estimated thousands of undocumented and other contract workers hired for shorter stints on local farms.