Cleotilde is a farmworker in Ventura County who wears a colorful bandana to protect her from the sun and pesticides, but since COVID-19 broke out, she also hopes it can protect her from the virus. While many Americans are working from home, farmworkers have continued laboring in fields. Lillian Argueta
Cleotilde is a farmworker in Ventura County who wears a colorful bandana to protect her from the sun and pesticides, but since COVID-19 broke out, she also hopes it can protect her from the virus.
"One mask can save a life," she said."I feel so happy to be able to share what I know how to do. It's my grain of sand." Her employer has implemented strict social distancing guidelines and ramped up sanitation practices in order to help keep Lazaro and her co-workers safe, but she has heard reports of farmworkers in neighboring towns who've been infected with COVID-19. She said she's put aside her fears to keep working, to provide for her son who's deaf.
Story continuesAt the beginning of the outbreak, Wilmer Jimenez, western coordinator at the Rural and Migrant Ministry, said some farmworkers in New York state were told to keep working even though they were exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. Heather Riden, manager of the Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety at the University of California, Davis, has been working to come up with practical recommendations employers can apply to help keep workers safe while on the clock, but said there are still challenges in implementing social distancing when it comes to certain aspects of farm work.
"Even though our machines require literally individuals being shoulder to shoulder, we've made the adjustment to where we are pulling out every other row, every other individual, so they're at least 6 feet apart in their harvesting," he said."Our efficiencies have suffered, but we feel that's the most responsible for our employees out in the field."
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