A gift for caregivers in times of pandemic.

The PDO fruits de Corse offered, Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 November, three tonnes of clementines to three hospitals on the Isle of Beauty to thank them for their efforts against Covid-19.

"The PDO fruits de Corse donated the equivalent of three tonnes of fruit to the hospitals of Ajaccio and Bastia yesterday (Wednesday) and to the hospital of Corte today at the rate of one tonne each", said Thursday to AFP Pedro Dias, the director of this PDO, which brings together 90% of the production of Corsican clementines.

"We wanted to show our solidarity with the nursing staff of hospitals facing this second wave of coronavirus and thank them for the screening action carried out in October with us, when the 900 seasonal workers came," a- he explained.

An "exceptional" sanitary and diplomatic protocol had been put in place between France and Morocco to organize the arrival in October of these 900 seasonal workers.

All these Moroccan workers were tested for Covid-19 on departure and on arrival, then seven days after their arrival, Didier Leschi, director of the French Office for Immigration and Immigration, told AFP in early October. integration (OFII).

"It's our way of giving them a little bit of vitamin C"

"The hospital staff was very present to carry out all the antigenic tests as soon as each of the workers arrived" from Morocco by five planes chartered by the clementine producers, said Pedro Dias.

"We just wanted to thank them for their daily work and tell them to hold on. It's our way of giving them a little bit of vitamin C and a little bit of sun in this difficult period."

At Bastia hospital, these clementines will be "given to staff who have participated in the screening of seasonal workers and the rest will be distributed with staff meals," the director, Jean-Mathieu Defour told AFP.

Fruits de Corse PDO has 160 producers cultivating 1,500 hectares.

These clementines are 95% intended for the French market, according to the PDO which specifies that the harvest is going well, favored by good weather.

With AFP

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