Protecting Ag Workers Pt 3
I’m Bob Larson. During the COVID-19 pandemic, ag employers have faced some criticism over their efforts to keep workers safe from the virus. But, industry insiders say every effort is being made to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved in this essential line of work.
Washington State Tree Fruit Association President Jon DeVaney says everyone is learning as they go, but safety is a top priority …
DeVANEY … “There is sufficient testing available that the agricultural workforce has long been prioritized in our state for available testing resources. There are communication issues in that some of the free testing and priority testing for ag workers is coordinated by County Health Districts, but if you go to a general health care provider you might get a different response, where you might be told that you’re going to get billed for that test or they might not understand where you work and that you were given a priority for that testing.”
That confusion, DeVaney says can be a challenge …
DeVANEY … “I’ve seen some media reports where private health care providers are still saying, well unless you’re clearly symptomatic we’re not going to test you. Whereas, there is enough testing capacity now that local health districts are saying, no anyone that wants a test should be able to have one. So, that leads to confusion when you’ve got different health care providers giving different answers about cost and availabilities.”
DeVaney says growers are very resilient or they wouldn’t still be in agriculture so he’s confident they will adapt to this challenge and get everyone to the other side safely.
