At harvest time, the screening of seasonal workers is highly recommended

• At Château Bertinerie, more than 80 people, including 72 seasonal workers, were screened on Tuesday, 48 hours after the start of the harvest on this property.
• The objective is to isolate the positive cases to avoid the multiplication of clusters, as well as the abrupt cessation of activity, which would be an economic disaster.
• The harvest in the Bordeaux region is scheduled to last five weeks, until the beginning of October.

Track down the virus, and isolate positive cases, in order to avoid the multiplication of clusters, as well as a sudden stop of activity. The harvest in the Bordeaux region, which begins this week with the harvest of the white wines, will take place this year under close surveillance, due to the coronavirus epidemic.

In partnership with the CIVB (Interprofessional Council for Bordeaux Wine) and the Chamber of Agriculture, the ARS (Regional Health Agency) of Nouvelle-Aquitaine on Tuesday started a series of screening operations in Bordeaux wine estates. . They mainly target seasonal workers, knowing that "during the month of September, 14,000 additional workers join the ranks of the wine industry," says Fabien Bova, Director General of the CIVB. A sector which has between 55,000 and 60,000 permanent employees.

“If the whole team is stopped, who comes to finish the harvest? "

At Château Bertinerie, in Cubnezais in the Blayais, more than 80 people, including 72 seasonal workers, were thus screened in the morning. Directly at the property. The results will fall by Wednesday, which will give the co-owner of the estate Eric Bantegnies, who starts his harvest on Thursday, time to organize themselves, and the ARS to isolate the positive cases if there are any.

#Bordeaux À hour des #vendanges @ARS_NAquit offers free screening operations for # Covid19 among Bordeaux winegrowers, for employees and seasonal workers, in partnership with CIVB pic.twitter.com/crKgi3lV91

"It seemed important to me to pass everyone through a sieve of the test before starting the harvest, in order to make sure that one does not have asymptomatic in the middle of the others", explains the co-manager of the domain of 78 hectares in the Blaye-Côtes de Bordeaux appellation. “It is also a matter of ensuring that there is no risk of stopping the harvest, with the quarantine of the entire team after a fortnight. If the whole team is stopped, who comes to finish the harvest, who comes to finish the vinification? There is no plan B. Obviously, the risk is not ruled out 100%, but at least we leave calm. "

"We are starting on a sound basis, and I have the feeling that I have taken my responsibilities"

There is indeed the risk that one or more seasonal workers who come to join their property during the harvest may have contracted the virus without knowing it. “But I will encourage new entrants to test on their own. At least we are starting on a sound basis, and I have the feeling that I have taken my responsibilities. Eric Bantegnies recognizes that his approach also allows him to legally protect himself. “I do not want some to turn against the employer, believing that they have been put in a situation of danger. "

Eric Bantegnies, co-owner of Château Bertinerie, in Bordeaux - Mickaël Bosredon / 20Minutes

The operator explains that “a whole protocol is also in place, with wearing a mask when entering and leaving the row. "The pickers will however be able to remove their mask to work in the rows," because working with the mask, with the heat that we will have at the beginning of September, it will be complicated. "Eric Bantegnies hopes that" respecting the rules within the company will considerably reduce the risks. "

"Two objectives: fight against the epidemic, and participate in maintaining economic activity"

To date, around thirty properties have already come forward to host screening operations for their employees. "From now on, the ARS will do what it did here in these properties," explains Fabien Bova. The whole sector is informed, and the ARS has access to our cartographic elements to program the screenings. Our wish is to start the harvest in the best conditions by identifying positive cases upstream. "

"It's up to us to find sampling teams, and to ensure that the results are produced under excellent conditions," adds Olivier Serre, director of the departmental delegation of the ARS. We have two objectives: fight against the epidemic, and participate in maintaining economic activity. "

The harvest should last until early October

For screening at Château Bertinerie, "we contacted a laboratory for the analysis part, and we called on civil security to take samples in secure conditions", explains Olivier Serre. But the operation can also take place in a nearby village hall, which allows the screening of several properties to be grouped together. "We are fortunate to have in Gironde a distribution of laboratories and health establishments which is fairly homogeneous", underlines the departmental director.

After the harvest of the whites, those of the reds will follow, which will be staggered as the different grape varieties mature. The harvest in the Bordeaux region, the largest wine-growing area in France with 117,000 hectares, is expected to last five weeks, until early October.

Society

Coronavirus in Bordeaux: L'Austra, the first bar closed for non-compliance with health rules

Society

Coronavirus in Mayenne: The staff of the Covid service on strike at Laval hospital

• Harvest
• Covid 19
• Society
• Aquitaine
• Coronavirus
• Bordeaux