COVID-19

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Farmworker Justice is collaborating with farmworker-serving organizations and many other organizations to help farmworker families confront the very serious challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Farmworkers are considered “essential workers,” risking their health to ensure that we have access to fruits and vegetables. Farmworkers face numerous challenges to protect themselves and their family members from COVID-19 due to their working and living conditions. FJ and our partners developed policy recommendations that we shared with Congress and the Administration as well as issue briefs and resources  to ensure farmworkers are able to adequately protect themselves in the fields and at home.  FJ has also coordinated the distribution of face masks to farmworkers. Learn more about these efforts.

 

General resources

 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • – Coronavirus (COVID-19)

 

Resources for workers

 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of Labor
  • – Agriculture Workers and Employers: Interim Guidance from CDC and the U.S. Department of Labor

• Legal Aid of North Carolina, Farmworker Unit
  • – Resources for Seasonal and Migrant Farmworkers and Their Families

• Maya Health Alliance Wuqu’ Kawoq
  • – Audio, video and print resources in Spanish and Guatemalan Mayan languages
  • – Additional video resources in Spanish and Guatemalan Mayan languages:

Spanish             Ixil                   Kaqchikel

K’iche´              Mam               Q’anjob’al

Q’eqchi            Tz’utujil 

• Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project
  • – COVID-19 Resources in Indigenous Languages from Southern Mexico

• PODER en SALUD
  • – A coalition of Latino identified and/or serving community-based organizations across the United States participating in a collective effort to inform and educate their local Latino communities on COVID-19.​ http://www.poderensalud.org/

• Rural Women’s Health Project
  • – Coronavirus Education Materials in Indigenous Languages, Dialects and Spanish
  • – COVID-19 tips in English and Spanish

• University of Georgia Extension
  • – Lo que necesita saber sobre el coronavirus

 

Resources for farmworker-serving organizations

 

• California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc.
  • –  COVID-19 Resources

• Church World Service
  • – COVID-19 Vaccine Informational Videos for Refugee Communities (Available in 15 languages)
• Environmental Working Group
  • – EWG Analysis: Few States Have Job Safety Rules To Protect Farmworkers From COVID-19
• Farmworker Justice
  • – Children’s Vaccine Song (Spanish)
  • – Report: Lessons from the Fields: Farmworker Communities Confronting COVID-19
  • – Fact Sheet: OSHA COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard
  • – COVID-19 Prevention Comic Books (English/Spanish)
  • – Fact sheet: Virginia Passes Final COVID-19 Workplace Safety Standard
  • – COVID-19 Lotería (Bingo) Game (Available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Mam, and Mixteco)
  • – Fotonovela: Be Informed About the COVID-19 Vaccine! / Infórmese sobre la vacuna contra COVID-19 [Illustrated brochure and Outreach Guide]
    • Fotonovela (English)
    • Fotonovela (Spanish)
    • Outreach guide (English)
    • Promotor/a guide (Spanish)
  • – Fact Sheet: Prioritization of Farmworkers for COVID-19 Vaccination; March 5, 2021
  • – Issue Brief: COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Protections for Agricultural Workers; Updated January 2021
  • – Fact Sheet – Interim COVID-19 Guidance from CDC and the U.S. Department of Labor For Agricultural Employers and Workers
  • – See also our Farmworker Justice Policy Recommendations section below
• Farmworker Health Network COVID-19 Newsletter
  • – 4/24/2020
  • – 5/8/2020
  • – 5/22/2020
  • – 6/5/2020
  • – 6/19/2020

• Farmworker Legal Services and Michigan Immigrant Rights Center
  • – El Programa H-2A en los tiempos del Coronavirus: Protecciones para trabajadores con visa H-2A

• Health Resources and Services Administration
  • – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information

• Health Center Resource Clearinghouse
  • – COVID-19

• Migrant Clinicians Network
  • – Farmworkers and COVID-19: FAQ

• National Association of Community Health Centers
  • – Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information and Resources for Community Health Centers

• National Center for Farmworker Health
  • – Resources on Novel Coronavirus COVID-19

• U.S . Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
  • – Employee Health and Food Safety Checklist for Human and Animal Food Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

 

 

By State:

Arkansas

• Department of Health; Department of Agriculture
  • – COVID-19 Guidance for Migrant Farm Workers and their Employers

 

California

• Cal/OSHA
  • – COVID-19 Prevention – Emergency Temporary Standards; Approved November 30, 2020; updated June 17, 2021.

• • •      – 3205 COVID-19 Prevention
    •      – 3205.1 Multiple COVID-19 Infections and COVID-19 Outbreaks
    •      – 3205.2 Major COVID-19 Outbreaks
    •      – 3205.3 COVID-19 Prevention in Employer-Provided Housing
    •      – 3205.4 COVID-19 Prevention in Employer-Provided Transportation to and from Work

• • – COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards – What Employers Need to Know; (Español) Updated June 21, 2021

 

Colorado

• Department of Public Health & Environment
  • – COVID-19 Guidance for the Agriculture Industry

 

Kansas

• Department of Agriculture
  • – COVID-19 Guidance for the Food & Agriculture Industry; Updated May 29, 2020

 

Maine

• Department of Health and Human Services; Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry, Maine Mobile Health Program
  • – COVID-19 Interim Guidance for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers, Their Employers, and Housing Providers; Issued June 22, 2020

• Department of Labor
  • – Guidance for Agricultural Employers in Maine for Addressing COVID-19; Updated May 4, 2020

 

Maryland

• Department of Agriculture
  • – COVID-19 Guidance: Agricultural Workforce Training; Issued 6/25/2020
  • – Temporary Worker Housing COVID-19 Guidance; Issued 6/25/2020
  • – Agricultural Site COVID-19 Guidance: Maintain a Healthy Workforce; Issued 6/25/2020
  • – COVID‐19 Facility/Site Compliance: Agricultural Safe Business Preactices, Face Covering & Social Distancing Compliance Checklist; Issued 6/25/2020

 

Massachusetts

• Department of Agricultural Resources
  • – BULLETIN 2021-01 Considerations for Fruit and Vegetable Growers Related to Coronavirus & COVID-19; Issued March 2021
  • – BULLETIN 2020-10; CLEANING AND SANITIZING Guidance #3; Considerations for Fruit and Vegetable Growers Related to Coronavirus & COVID-19
  • – BULLETIN 2020-02 Re: Considerations for Fruit and Vegetable Growers Related to Coronavirus & COVID-19

 

Michigan

• The Office of Governor Gretchen Whitmer
  • – EXECUTIVE ORDER No. 2020-111 Protecting the Food Supply and Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Workers from the effects of COVID-19 (RESCINDED)
  • – EXECUTIVE ORDER No. 2020-97 Safeguards to protect Michigan’s workers from  COVID-19; Rescission of Executive Order 2020-91 (RESCINDED)
• Department of Health and Human Services
  • – Emergency Order Under MCL 333.2253: Mandatory Testing, Preventative Measures, and Safe Housing for Agricultural Workers; Issued August 3, 2020
• Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity; and Occupational Safety and Health Administration
  • – Emergency Rules; Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); Issued 10/14/2020

 

New Jersey

• Departments of Health, Agriculture, and Labor & Workforce Development
  • – Interim Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-2019) Guidance for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers, Their Employers, and Housing Providers; Issued May 20, 2020

 

New Mexico

•  State of New Mexico
  • – All Together New Mexico: COVID-Safe Practices for Individuals and Employers; January 18, 2021 (see page 31)

 

New York

• Department of Health & Department of Agriculture and Markets
  • – Interim Guidance for Prevention and Response of COVID-19 at Farms; Revised May 27, 2020
• Department of Agriculture and Markets
  • – COVID-19: Guidance and Resources for the Ag Community; Updated July 14, 2020
  • – Interim Guidance for Horticulture; Issued May 15, 2020
• Department of Health, Department of Labor, and Department of Agriculture and Markets
  • – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Tips; Revised May 27, 2020
  • – Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Operator Checklist for Farms; Revised May 27, 2020
• Office of the Governor
  • – Non-Food Related Agriculture Guidelines for Employers and Employees
  • – Interim Guidance for Non-food Related Agriculture Activities During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency; Issued June 26, 2020

 

North Carolina

• Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Department of Health and Human Services
  • – Interim COVID-19 Recommendations for Farms, Packhouses, and Related Facilities Adapted from CDC/NIOSH Recommendations; Issued April 24, 2020;
• Department of Health and Human Services
  • • – Interim Guidance for Migrant Farmworkers, Their Employers, and Housing Providers; Issued October 8, 2020

North Dakota

• Department of Agriculture
  • – COVID-19 Farms and Deliveries Guidance
  • – COVID-19 Dairies Guidance
  • – COVID-19 Guidance for Nurseries and Greenhouses

 

Oregon

• Oregon Health Authority
  • – Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Interim Guidance for Agricultural Employers in Oregon; Issued December 29, 2020
• Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
  • – Rules Addressing the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency in All Oregon Workplaces; Effective May 4, 2021
  • – Rules Addressing the COVID-19 Workplace Requirements for Employer-Provided Labor Housing; Effective April 30, 2021

 

Pennsylvania

• Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
  • – COVID-19 Guidance: Farms and On-Farm Deliveries; Updated May 4, 2020
  • – COVID-19: Modifications to Seasonal Farm Labor Camp Requirements; Updated April 20, 2020

 

Rhode Island

• Department of Environmental Management; Department of Environmental Health
  • – Phase I guidelines for farms and on-farm deliveries; Issued April 24, 2020

• Department of Health
  • – Guidance for Businesses with Seasonal Workers Housed in Communal Living Arrangements; Updated December 21, 2020

Tennessee

• Department of Agriculture
  • – Slowing the Spread of COVID-19: Guidance for Farms and Forestry Businesses; Updated October 13, 2020
• Department of Health
  • – COVID-19 Prevention, Monitoring and Management for Agricultural Settings; Issued September 8, 2020

 

Virginia

• Department of Labor and Industry
  • – 16VAC25-220, Final Permanent Standard for Infectious Disease Prevention of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus That Causes COVID-19; As Adopted by the Safety and Health Codes Board on January 13, 2021; effective January 27, 2021
• Farmworker Justice
  • – Fact sheet – Virginia Takes a Vital Step to Protect its Workers from COVID-19

 

Washington

• Office of the Governor
  • – Proclamation 20-57.1 Concerning the Health of Agricultural Workers; Updated August 19, 2020
  • – Agricultural COVID-19 Requirements: General Provisions for All Worksites and Work-Related Functions; Updated August 19, 2020
  • – Workplace and Transportation Requirements and Interpretive Guidance; Issued August 19, 2020
• Department of Health
  • – Public Health COVID-19 Guidance: Farm and Agricultural Workers in Washington State; Updated May 27, 2020
  • – Guidance for Temporary Worker Housing; Revised Emergency Rules – WAC 246-358-002; Updated January 8, 2021
• Department of Labor & Industries
  • – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Prevention in Agriculture and Related Industries; Issued April 2020
  • – DOSH Hazard Alert: Wildfire Smoke and Dust Masks during the COVID-19 Pandemic; Issued September 2020

• Department of Labor & Industries and Department of Health
  • – Additional requirements to protect occupants in temporary worker housing from 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) exposure (WAC 296-307-16102 ); Updated rule; effective May 9, 2021

• Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center
  • – COVID-19 Materials
  • – Responding to COVID-19
• Washington State Legislature
  • – Labor Standards–Public Health Emergencies; Effective May 11, 2021

 

Wisconsin

• Office of the Governor, and Department of Health Services
  • – Emergency Order #25: Additional Safety Measures Related to the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and Migrant Labor Camps; Issued April 14, 2020

 

Farmworker Justice Policy Recommendations

• – FJ & MCN Comments to the CDC on Allocation of Initial Supplies of COVID-19  Vaccine – December 20, 2020
• – Comments on the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Protection Emergency Regulation – November 18, 2020
• – Written comments on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Draft Preliminary Framework for Equitable Allocation of a COVID-19 Vaccine – September 4, 2020
• – As COVID-19 Cases Soar, Trump Administration Rejects Requests for Safety Protections for Farmworkers under H-2A Agricultural Guestworker Program – July 14,2020
• – Farmworker Justice Statement on Trump Administration Testimony   by OSHA and NIOSH before the House Education and Labor Committee – May 28, 2020
• – Environmental Working Group and Farmworker Justice Statement: Congress Should Tap CCC Funds to Help Farmworkers – May 22, 2020
• – Farmworker Justice Statement on USDA-FDA MOU to Keep Farms & Packing Houses Running Despite Worker Illness from the Pandemic – May 20, 2020
• – Farmworker Justice Press Statement for EWG Press Call on Rep. Khanna and Sen. Warren’s Essential Workers Bill of Rights – April 30, 2020
• – Letter to Congress by Farmworker Justice and Other Organizations Advocating for Farmworkers Priorities in Next CARES Bill – April 22, 2020
• – Farmworker Advocates Seek Protections Against COVID-19 for Agricultural Guestworkers – March 25, 2020
• – Statement by Farmworker Advocates on COVID-19 and the Risks to Farmworkers – March 20, 2020
• – Unique Coalition Seeks Administration’s Support on Rural Health Care in COVID-19 Crisis – March 19, 2020
• – Farmworker Justice Statement: Our Dedication to Helping Farmworker Families Confront the Challenges of COVID-19 – March 17, 2020
• – The Promise of Telehealth: Increasing Access to Quality Healthcare in Rural America (2018; Joint report by Farmworker Justice, Campesinos Sin Fronteras, Vista Community Clinic, and the Harvard Law School Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation)

► Visit our Resource Center for more resources on farmworker health