The first vaccination clinic for workers in the food and agricultural sector is planned for next week. This sector is expected to include 10,000 local workers in workplaces ranging from grocery stores to dairy farms, and the vaccination is expected to take months due to the lack of vaccine available.
Humboldt County Public Health is working with another approved vaccine to launch the first mobile clinic for this sector, which is offered by invitation only and will take place at a major agricultural production facility on Friday, March 19th.
Public Health will prioritize facilities with the highest risk of a COVID-19 outbreak, local facilities where widespread distribution has occurred, and institutions known to have a higher risk of spread, such as producers of meat, dairy and seafood. Public Health will coordinate clinics at larger production facilities, and some sites with fewer employees will be invited to those clinics. Workers in this sector will also be invited to mass vaccination clinics, as the vaccine supply allows.
Vaccination priorities are determined by the state of California, and the ability to vaccinate additional groups is severely limited by the available supply. Without a significant increase in the weekly allocation, it will take months before Humboldt County will have enough doses to vaccinate everyone in this sector.
The state continues to open up industry sectors and age groups with estimated populations at rates that far exceed the doses it offers. After the state vaccinated locals 65 and older this week, the state plans to open next week for ages 16-64 with certain medical conditions and soon add workers in the transportation sector to Phase 1B.
According to the California Department of Public Health (https://covid19.ca.gov/essential-workforce/), the food and agriculture sector includes the following:
- ‘Workers supporting groceries, pharmacies, convenience stores and other retailers selling food or beverage products, and animal / pet food, customer support service, information technology support staff, for online orders, pick-up / drop-off or delivery.
- Workers supporting restaurant export and serving food operations, including employees for food preparation, delivery and delivery.
- Food producer employees and their supplier employees to include those employed in food ingredient production and processing facilities for aquaculture and seafood harvesting facilities; livestock, poultry, seafood slaughterhouses; pet and animal feed processing facilities; human food facilities producing animal by-products; beverage production facilities; and the production of food packaging, including recycling and processing.
- Farmers, farm workers and farm workers, and agribusiness support services, including those working in the auction and sales; handling, storage, processing and distribution of grain and oilseeds; animal food, feed and ingredient production, packaging and distribution; manufacture, packaging and distribution of veterinary medicinal products; truck delivery and transportation.
- Farmers, farm and farm workers, support service workers and their suppliers’ employees who produce food supplies domestically and for export, including those engaged in rearing, cultivation, harvesting, packaging, storage or delivery in storage or on the market or to a transporter market for transport any agricultural or horticultural products for human consumption; those engaged in the production and harvesting of field crops; marijuana growers; agricultural and commodity inspection; fuel ethanol facilities; storage facilities; biodiesel and renewable diesel facilities; and other agricultural inputs
- Employees and businesses that support food, feed and beverage distribution and ingredients used in these products, including warehouse workers, vendor-managed inventory managers, and blockchain managers.
- Workers supporting the sanitation of all food manufacturing processes and operations from wholesale to retail.
- Workers supporting the growth and distribution of plants and related products for home gardens.
- Cafeteria workers used to feed workers, especially workers populated with COVID-19
- Laboratories in laboratories for diagnostic animals and food tests
- Workers in need of aid and government payments
- Workers from state, private and non-governmental organizations that are essential for food aid programs (including school lunches) and government payments.
- Employees of companies involved in the manufacture, storage, transport and distribution of chemicals; medicines, including marijuana; vaccines; and other substances used by the food and agricultural industries, including seeds, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, minerals, enrichment and other agricultural production aids.
- Animal farm workers to include those employed in veterinary health (including those involved in supporting emergency veterinarians or livestock services) raising animals for food; animal production activities; livestock markets; slaughter and packaging plants, manufacturers, producers, and associated labor of the regulations and the government.
- Transportation that supports animal farming industries, including the transportation of medical and reproductive products and materials, animal vaccines, veterinary medicine, feed ingredients, feed and bedding, live animals, medical animal animals; transport of deceased animals for disposal; and associated workforce of regulations and government
- Workers supporting sawmills and the manufacture and distribution of fibrous and wood products, including but not limited to wood, paper and other wood and fiber products
- Employees engaged in the manufacture and maintenance of equipment and other infrastructure necessary for the production and distribution of agriculture
- Workers at animal care facilities that provide food, shelter, veterinary and / or routine care and other necessities of life to animals. ”
This sector also includes:
- Any employee who works in a restaurant, to the extent not described in the food and agricultural sector above
- Veterinary services employees
- Medical marijuana workers.
Public Health will continue to request 100% of the vaccine offered by the state and use each dose it is given weekly.
9 new cases reported today
A total of 3,335 Humboldt County residents tested positive for COVID-19 after nine new cases were reported today.
Province administered 5,140 vaccines for next week
Humboldt County will receive 5,140 doses of COVID-19 vaccine for next week. Of these, 2,800 are Modern and 2,340 Pfizer. The country will not receive any doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine next week.
For the latest COVID-19 information, visit cdc.gov or cdph.ca.gov. Local information is available at humboldtgov.org or during business hours by contacting [email protected] or calling 707-441-5000.
Some Safeway and CVS pharmacy locations offer COVID-19 vaccination appointments in partnership with the federal government. Check out the links below to find out who is eligible and sign up at one of these sites for an appointment.
Safeway: https://www.mhealthappointments.com/covidappt
CVS Pharmacy: https://www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine?icid=cvs-home-hero1-link2-coronavirus-vaccine.
Local information on COVID-19: humboldtgov.org/VaccineInfo
Humboldt County COVID-19 Data Dashboard: humboldtgov.org/Dashboard
Follow us on Facebook: @ HumCoCOVID19
Instagram: @ HumCoCOVID19
Twitter: @ HumCoCOVID19
Humboldt Health Warning: humboldtgov.org/HumboldtHealthAlert
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