Fall is officially here, and here in Immokalee that means one thing: Main Street in the heart of the Florida farmworker community is filling up with migrant workers returning from northern states, and the harvest season is just around the corner. COVID-19 MEDIA ROUND-UP: In Florida and across the country, farmworkers are denied adequate healthcare protections by state and local officials amid case surges… Fall is officially here, and in Immokalee that means that the sidewalks along Main Street, the four-lane road running through the heart of the Florida farmworker community, are filling up with migrant workers returning from northern states. The new harvest season is just around the corner, and with it, the potential for another major outbreak of COVID-19. Indeed, even as new cases surge across the Midwest, and a broader resurgence of the virus threatens to crest in states across the country as schools reopen and restrictions loosen, it has been clearly established that the novel coronavirus hits some communities far harder than others – and few harder than low-income, rural communities of essential workers like Immokalee. Over the past month, there has been some excellent reporting documenting the deeply troubling response, or lack thereof, by public officials charged with protecting farmworker communities. In addition to John Bowe’s excellent piece in the Nation (which you should make sure to check out if you missed it earlier this week!), we’re bringing you a round-up of recent reporting on the pandemic’s threat to farmworker communities, and the urgent need for state and local officials to take action ahead of the Florida harvest: Virus’s unseen hot zone: The American farm  In Yakima County, Wash., some fruit orchard owners declined on-site testing of workers by health departments at the height of harvest season even as coronavirus infections spiked. In Monterey, Calif., workers at some farms claimed foremen asked them to hide positive diagnoses from other crew members. And in Collier County, Fla., health officials did not begin widespread testing of farmworkers until the end of harvest, at which point the workers had already migrated northward. At the height of harvest season, growers supplying some of America’s biggest agricultural companies and grocery store chains flouted public health guidelines to limit testing and obscure coronavirus outbreaks, according to thousands of pages of state and local records reviewed by The Washington Post. […] […] Eleven states (California, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin) have introduced mandatory protections for farmworkers during the pandemic that include providing PPE and requiring physical distancing, workplace disinfection and worker testing. Many issued recommendations only after seeing significant outbreaks among farmworkers in their states. Twenty states have issued nonenforceable guidance, and 19 states, including Florida and Texas, have issued no recommendations. […] […] “Nearly every suggestion we gave about how to meet the needs of the farmworker community — from early community-wide testing, to effective health education, the need for contact tracing and isolation areas apart from overcrowded housing — was met with initial rejection and delay,” Reyes Chavez said. […] Read more from the most recent COVID-19 Media Round-up on the CIW website! Coalition of Immokalee Workers (239) 657 8311 | [email protected] | www.ciw-online.org Connect with us ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Coalition of Immokalee Workers | 110 S 2nd St, Immokalee, FL 34142 Unsubscribe [email protected] About our service provider Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!