I am writing to urge all members to visit our COVID-19 Resource Center for new information regarding COVID-19 testing, and to ask you to help pressure lawmakers and governors in each of our states to do more to prioritize worker safety.
We have posted the PA Department of Agriculture’s
Regionalized Priority Testing for Agriculture
plan to the Resource Center. This plan applies to agriculture workers who have COVID-19 symptoms including, but not limited to those working in processing and manufacturing facilities, food warehouses, grocery stores, and on-farm labor (seasonal farm labor and H2A workers included). Key highlights include:
- Members of Pennsylvania’s agriculture workforce who find themselves symptomatic for COVID-19 should follow follow the steps found here for priority testing if they live and/or work in Montgomery, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Luzerne, Carbon, Monroe, Pike, Wayne, or Lackawanna counties.
- There is no cost for testing at these sites, since the test is completed at the PA state public health laboratory.
- Those working in agriculture outside of these prioritized regions who are showing symptoms for COVID-19 are encouraged to visit any other approved testing site in Pennsylvania. A full map of locations can be found on the Department of Health’s website.
- Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and diarrhea. Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure.
In addition, I am urging all of our workers across every industry to contact
Governor Tom Wolf’s office
and
your state legislators
and urge them to make testing available for all essential workers – now. We need a statewide testing plan that ensures workers’ and consumers’ safety.
Our top priority throughout this pandemic is your safety. That’s why we purchased 25,000 face shields that we’ve distributed to members. We will purchase more as needed. That’s why we continue to work with all employers on new cleaning and social distancing protocols, as well as policies that protect your rights throughout this crisis.
