Covid-19 spiking among migrant farmworkers as farm operators try to figure out how to keep workers safer

A spike in covid-19 cases in Immokalee, Florida, exemplifies what's happening in many agricultural areas in the U.S.: migrant workers are getting hit hard by the pandemic, and though they're considered essential workers, many have little access to health care or adequate social distancing measures at work or home, Elizabeth Royte reports for the Food & Environment Reporting Network.

Covid-19 cases have skyrocketed in Immokalee, the tomato-growing capital of the U.S., over the past few weeks, especially among undocumented agriculture workers. The town of about 30,000 averages about 24 new cases per day, a twelve-fold increase over April's numbers. The county has had 49 covid-related deaths and 213 hospitalizations, Royte reports.

"The same conditions are common in other ag-intensive regions, many that have seen their own covid-19 outbreaks. Positive cases in Monterey County, California, jumped from a total of 73 in March, to 187 in April, and 310 in May, according to county health statistics. More than a third of those diagnosed are farmworkers, many of whom share homes or apartments with two or three families," Royte reports. "At a farm in Tennessee, all 197 migrant employees recently tested positive for covid-19, though only three displayed symptoms. Yakima County, Washington, has seen a surge of covid-19 among agricultural workers, with nearly 500 cases. Fruit packinghouse workers in the county walked off the job last month, protesting lack of protective equipment; the state will require stronger protections for its agricultural workers that take effect June 3."

Meanwhile, "farm owners and operators also face unprecedented challenges. Unequipped to deal with a deadly virus outbreak, they’ve had to figure out how to keep workers safe while also maintaining production — often with limited or conflicting information," Dave Jamieson and Chris D'Angelo report for HuffPost. "While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and many states have issued guidance for agricultural workers and employers, there is no federal regulation specifically created to protect farm workers during covid-19."