COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – Dr. Seth Holmes traveled to Immokalee from the University of California Berkeley when testing first became available almost a month ago. While stationed in Immokalee, he noticed poor living conditions and a lack of testing.
“In this area, there’s a lot of people lined up to get buses together, maybe 15-30 people in a bus on their way to work. Sometimes they get in a van, or cargo trucks, and sometimes they’re wearing masks, while other times they’re not,” Holmes said. “On my walks in the mornings, as I’m exercising I’ve seen some of the living conditions people are part of, including trailers where there are nine people living together. The overcrowded living conditions and the transportation conditions are a bad sign of how the virus may spread.”
Holmes said there have been alarming signs from what he’s seen when he’s out testing people and talking to residents.
“I have heard from multiple people that they are feeling some symptoms or were exposed to someone who tested positive, but it’s hard to get tested themselves. Here in Immokalee, we don’t have the easy walk-up testing for everyone,” he said....
