California won’t conquer the coronavirus, and fully reopen, until it can protect essential workers [Los Angeles Times]
Five months into the pandemic, it’s becoming increasingly clear that California is not going to conquer the coronavirus until it dramatically improves safety measures for essential workers at the epicenter of the health crisis. From farming communities to urban centers and suburbs, workers in retail, manufacturing, agriculture and logistics are bearing the brunt of COVID-19 outbreaks, and state and local officials are struggling to control the infections even as the outlook in more prosperous communities has improved. A growing number of officials and health experts say it’s critical now for California to act more aggressively, including pushing for masks and social distancing measures inside workplaces as well as cracking down much harder on employers who don’t follow the rules.
California farmworkers at higher risk of contracting coronavirus, survey says [Santa Rosa Press Democrat]
California farmworkers are at a greater risk of contracting the coronavirus than people working in other industries, according to a new report released Tuesday by the California Institute of Rural Studies. The institute’s findings are based on a survey of 900 agricultural workers from different regions of the state, including the North Bay. … Leaders in area agriculture, whose employment is dominated by the wine industry, said they have taken steps to ensure workers are protected. For example, there has been the formation of a local ad-hoc group from the industry and community groups to improve communications with farmworkers, said Tawny Tesconi, executive director of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau.
Report: Monterey County farmworkers at 3 times greater risk of COVID-19 than other workers [Salinas Californian]
Monterey County farmworkers are three times more likely to catch COVID-19 than workers in any other industry, a report out of the California Institute for Rural Studies (CIRS) found. A further survey showed lack of documentation, inadequate protection by employers and technological illiteracy combine to make farmworkers far more vulnerable to the disease caused by the virus than other county residents, surveyors and advocates alike say. … Dr. Ed Moreno, Monterey County Department of Public Health officer, the majority of farmworkers positive cases are residential and social exposures, not workplace exposures.
Opinion: PBS missed mark on ag industry [Monterey Herald]
Last week, PBS’s news program Frontline aired an episode about COVID-19’s devastating impact on the lives and health of farmworkers in Monterey County and meat packers in Kings County. … However, the film omitted an opportunity to provide balance by also telling the story of collaborative efforts in Monterey County between our farmers, elected officials, agriculture commissioner, health professionals, and community leaders. Instead, the film focused on a cliché narrative that vilifies farmers, while neglecting to include both what farmers are doing to protect their essential workers, and what local communities can do to better mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on farmworkers.
Newsom lays out big dreams for California’s water future [Courthouse News Service]
Touting ways to shield California’s most precious resource from climate change, Governor Gavin Newsom released strategies Tuesday to improve drinking water quality, revive a stalled multibillion-dollar tunnel and build new dams. Newsom says the sweeping water portfolio will help the Golden State prepare for global warming by reinforcing outdated water infrastructure and reducing the state’s reliance on groundwater during future droughts. … After getting feedback from over 200 organizations and residents, the Newsom administration says the revised blueprint is ready to go.
https://www.courthousenews.com/newsom-lays-out-big-dreams-for-californias-water-future/
Abatti wants rehearing from appellate court [Imperial Valley Press]
The three-year battle over water rights between a local farmer and the Imperial Irrigation District is far from over. Local farmer and former Imperial Irrigation District Director Mike Abatti believes Fourth District Appellate Court justices made errors in IID’s appeal in June of a lower court’s 2017 ruling on water rights, so his attorney plans to petition the appeals court for a rehearing. After a three-year battle, the justices reversed the lower court’s rulings against IID regarding water rights while siding with Abatti on flaws in the district’s Equitable Distribution Plan.
