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Washington State reverses course on vaccinated farm workers
Following ongoing appeals by Washington state’s leading agricultural groups, state regulators announced on Friday that fully vaccinated farm workers do not have to wear a mask or socially distance at work or in congregate housing facilities, like all other vaccinated employees in the state.
The state had previously said they would let stand COVID-19 restrictions for farmers and their vaccinated workers that contradicted the state’s reopening guidance for businesses.
Farmers across the state have been leading a comprehensive worker safety program focused on widespread testing and vaccination of workers living in licensed housing facilities. As a result, the CDC has recognized that farm workers living in licensed housing facilities in Washington state are three times safer than workers living in local communities. Nearly 100 percent of the workers living in these facilities have been tested and vaccinated.
State relaxes some emergency COVID-19 rules for ag workers
June 1, 2021
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YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) The state has relaxed some emergency rules so fully vaccinated farmworkers living in temporary housing no longer need to wear masks.
The state Department of Labor & Industries and the state Department of Health issued updated rules on Friday. That was after Washington Farm Labor Association Executive Director Dan Fazio and Washington Farm Bureau Chief Executive John Stuhlmiller last week raised concerns that farmworkers weren’t covered when the state decided fully vaccinated workers didn’t need to wear masks.
They complained the rules, implemented for the COVID-19 pandemic, increased costs while failing to protect workers.