Stemilt AG Services

Farmworkers Are at High Risk for COVID-19 but Lack Protections | Eater

"A large central Washington orchard operation managing roughly 9,000 acres of apples, pears, cherries, and stone fruits that hires about 2,000 workers annually—many under H-2A guest-worker visas—experienced a major asymptomatic COVID-19 cluster after testing 71 fruit-tree workers in late April: more than half were positive despite only a few showing mild coughs. The employer had implemented extensive precautions (separating workers into isolated crews for work, commuting, and housing, symptom monitoring, sanitation, and social distancing), but 53 guest workers and one domestic worker ultimately tested positive; nearly all cases were mild and did not require hospitalization. The outbreak highlighted limits of voluntary measures and prompted the company to intensify cleaning, communication, and distancing while public-health officials and advocates have pushed for much broader testing and enforceable rules to prevent similar spread among farm labor pools." - Gosia Wozniacka