Inslee Expands Farmworker Protections, Care Facility Testing

WASHINGTON — At a conference Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee announced a pair of new plans to protect agriculture workers and long term care facilities from the coronavirus.

New provisions for farmworkers

The conference began with the announcement of a new proclamation expanding and revising the guidelines in place to protect farmworkers in fields, packing houses and on company-owned workplace transportation.

"There's numerous points of risk for people who are working in agriculture," said Inslee. "The striking workers in Yakima on the lines as we speak, are clear in their calls that more that needs to be done. We hear that message."

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According to the governor, the proclamation expands upon the current "cohort" model: which asks that farmworkers only work together in static groups of 15 or fewer employees. Leaders say that the cohort model can effectively cut off infections from spreading by limiting contact between large groups of employees.

Thursday's proclamation clarifies and expands several safety measures put into place near the beginning of the outbreak. After reports of workers struggling to get necessary face masks before their shift, Inslee says the new rules make it clearer that employers are required to deliver all necessary personal protective equipment. The governor also says the new guidance will allow for four times as much hand washing as older regulations, and provide better education for farmworkers on their rights and the protections their employers must provide.

The proclamation also provides new guidance for physical distancing, workplace disinfection and access to coronavirus testing.

"These rules go a long ways in addressing the issues that farmworkers have consistently raised with us," said Erik Nicholson with United Farm Workers.

More than 100,000 agriculture workers work in Washington harvesting more than 300 unique crops.

Testing requirements for long term care facilities

The second half of Inslee's announcement focused on an order to expand testing in Washington's long term care facilities.

Going forward, all residents and staff at Washington nursing homes must be tested for the coronavirus by June 12. Similarly, residents and staff at assisted living facilities with a memory care unit will need to be tested by June 26, a little under a month from the proclamation.

Inslee says tests for staff members will be paid for by the state, insurance is expected to cover all testing for residents of long term care facilities. Any long term care facilities that already tested staff and residents any time after April 1 are exempt from the new testing requirements.