Concerns mount over lack of COVID-19 protections for California farmworkers
José Ramos, a 41-year-old father of four from Honduras, works at a broccoli packing plant in Santa María, California. There he labors close to other workers who do the cutting and packing in a machine.
“There are three feet between us, at the most,” he said. “I try not to think about it, I concentrate on work and on moving fast.”
His employer did not offer any orientation about safety regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19), but he had purchased sanitizing gel and brought a made-at-home mask after hearing grim news reports from Spanish-language TV and radio.