There’s growing concern in an Inverness Co. community about temporary workers coming in for lobster season.
Andre Bourgeois, a resident of Cheticamp, says seasonal workers might spell disaster for small communities.
Bourgeois says workers are already arriving for the 2020 lobster and snow crab seasons.
He says seasonal fishery workers are considered essential because they’re involved in food production, so they don’t need to self-isolate.
Bourgeois tells The Hawk it puts their community at risk.
“You don’t need the entire village to become ill to have a crisis,” he says. “Under the current circumstances, it’s kind of frightening.”
Bourgeois says Cheticamp and similar small villages simply don’t have the resources to deal with an outbreak; their hospital only has 10 beds, no ventilators, and no ICU.
He says that means even a small outbreak would overstress the community’s hospital, and the sickest would have to travel for treatment.
Bourgeois says they aren’t blaming workers, as they’re just trying to work; instead, government officials need to close loopholes to protect public health.
