Immokalee farm workers finally getting tested, but still going to work without PPE

Immokalee farm workers finally getting tested, but still going to work without PPE

HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE FINALLYBEING TESTED FOR THE PRESENCE OFTHE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS IN COLLIERCOUNTY.THIS COMES FOUR WEEKS AFTER ANONLINE PETITION WAS LAUNCHED,DEMANDING TESTING FOR FARMWORKERS WHO LIVE AND WORKCLOSE QUARTERS ..

AS THEYPRODUCE OUR FOOD FROM THEFIELDS.BUT EVEN THOUGH TESTING HASARRIVED, FOX 4’S ROB MANCH HASLEARNED SEVERAL OF THE CONCERNSTHOSE WORKERS HAVE RAISED STILHAVEN’T BEEN ADDRESSED.INTRO:This testing site has been busy.It tested 440 in just the firstday alone.But workers here tell me, thisis just a first step, and theyhave a lot of other concernsmoving forward that so far,haven’t been addressed.PKAs people filed into the testingsite starting at 11 Mondaystarting at 11 Monday morning,Nely Rodriguez was busy morning,Nely Rodriguez was busypackaging masks to give them.She’s with the Coalition ofImmokalee Workers, which hasbeen trying to get the word out.Nely Rodriguez, Coalition ofImmokalee Workers:"We’ve been handing out fliers,we’ve been putting up postersall over town, and we’ve alsobegun knocking on doors to letpeople know that this testing ishappening."That outreach is working, withhundreds showing up to gettested.But more testing leads to newproblems.Kristine Hollingsworth,Department of Health:"As we test more, we do expectto have an increase in positivetests."Florida Department of HealthSpokeswoman KristineHollingsworth tells me rightnow, about 10 percent of peopleare testing positive in CollierCounty.The problem is, here inImmokalee, when they testpositive, they may not haveanywhere to goNely Rodriguez, Coalition ofImmokalee Workers:"You’re talking about 8 to 10people per trailer that livetogether, so there’s really noway for people to distancethemselves, especially ifsomeone comes out positive, andso we still have that concern."Hollingsworth didn’t get intospecifics, but she says thedepartment has that problemcovered.Kristine Hollingsworth,Department of Health:"We do have isolation sites forthose who do test positive, ifthey don’t have the ability tostay isolated at home.

Again,this will be done on a case bycase basis."But what the department can’tprovide is financial help foranyone who can’t go to work.Nely Rodriguez, Coalition ofImmokalee Workers:"In our community, workers liveday by day.

They make justenough money to be able to eatfor the day and just enough tobe able to support theirfamilies, and so, if they areout of work for two weeks, who’sgoing to help them pay for therent and other things that theyneed?"That’s why the Coalition stillhas its petition up on Changedot org.Not only are they calling forfinancial assistance for workerswho test positive, they wantpersonal protective equipmentfor people on the job.Nely Rodriguez, Coalition ofImmokalee Workers:"It’s also a matter ofrespecting and valuing this workthat farm workers do.

We can’tdo anything to change how heavyand how difficult that work is,but we can do more to give themthe sort of attention theyneed."TAG:Tomorrow will be the last daythat this testing site is open.It will test people for