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A growing concern Virtual forum outlines issues facing the agriculture industry
County asks locals to get COVID tested By JORGE MERCADO NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
RAFAEL MALDONADO / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
There has been a shortage of N-95 masks for local ag workers recently, a problem made even worse by the pandemic and wildfires in California.
By JORGE MERCADO NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
While the current COVID-19 pandemic has made things a lot harder for people in the agricultural industry, these issues have been further exacerbated by the novel coronavirus and the current wildfires plaguing California. Keeping employees safe is at the forefront of every employer’s mind and one thing agriculture farmers need, especially right now, are N-95 masks specially designed for these workers. “There’s the need for N-95 masks specially designed for agriculture. Currently, we can get the N-95 and KN-95 that are specially designed for our sprayers, but with the current
status of the air quality in the states, there’s a huge demand,” said Teri Bontrager, executive director of the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau. Ms. Bontrager, along with other local leaders in the ag industry across the Central Coast, shared these concerns and many more Friday during a virtual town hall hosted by Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara. Personal protective equipment has been a topic of discussion since the pandemic began. With the current fires and upcoming harvest season, ag workers need the masks just as much, if not more than other essential workers. “The masks that we have, it’s on a one-time temporary basis and we need more help to help our farmers out. Our employees are so
important to us and we want to keep them as safe as we possibly can,” Ms. Bontrager said. Claire Wyman from Growers Shippers Association in Santa Maria shared the same sentiment as Ms. Bontrager saying ongoing challenges include “testing materials, the need for those expedited testing and the associated equipment and supplies.” Joel Peterson, executive director of Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, also agreed. “It’s been mentioned a couple of times already today, but keeping our agricultural and farm workers safe (is important). We need proper testing and even more testing. We need PPE, specifically N-95 masks to protect our field and farmworkers. This is essential, we Please see AG on A3
In an effort to try to help Santa Barbara County reach the next tier in the state’s COVID-19 guidelines, the county Public Health Department is asking community members to once again get tested for the novel coronavirus. The move comes after the county failed to meet the state’s seven-day testing average during this past week’s evaluation. The county’s most recent seven-day testing average was 191, while the state’s was 217. As a result, the county was penalized and its average daily case rate per 100,000 was bumped up from 7.9 to 8.3. Currently, the county is in the state’s purple tier. To move into the red, which would allow them to open more businesses, such as partial indoor dining and movie theaters with limited seating, the county must reduce its daily case rate to under seven per 100,000. One way of helping the county reach that goal is to encourage the public to get tested, especially if they feel they have been exposed to the virus. “One key element of the state’s new approach to reopening to a safer economy is testing volume, or the average number of COVID-19 tests we conduct per day based on our population over a seven-day period,” said Nick Clay, the county’s director of emergency medical services agency, during Friday’s press conference. “It is critical that we are testing more than the state average and that number changes every week, so it’s a moving target.” The county previously pushed for widespread testing, though
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changed its messaging in early July due to a lack of resources to test everyone efficiently. This led to increased turn around times. “We recognize the messaging on testing has shifted during the course of the pandemic. The messaging has been primarily driven by testing availability. When the availability has been limited, we have asked the community to limit the testing to those who need it,” Mr. Clay said. “We are now asking the community to get tested, because not only is testing readily available, but sustained community testing will contribute to the county moving to the next reopening tier.” He added the most reliable test is still the nasal swab test. Furthering the point that testing is becoming more readily available in the county, Dr. Stewart Comer, the county’s lab director, shared that the county went from averaging roughly 50 tests a week during March to now averaging about 1,400 tests a day. “We have, as of (Thursday), exceeded 130,000 total tests and our forecasts suggest that by the end of this month, we will basically exceed 150,000 total tests… it’s essentially as Please see TESTING on A8 Jack Wilson, far right, drops a large piece of trash into a bucket as his father, Brian, and sister, Parker, pick up debris along Ninos Drive.
In order to help keep workers safe, employers are also asking for expanded testing to help.
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS
Locals take part in neighborhood cleanup By JORGE MERCADO NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Despite the current pandemic, going out for a run, a hike, or even just a walk is as important as ever to maintain one’s mental health. And, while doing that, Santa Barbarans are encouraged this month especially to help
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take part in Explore Ecology’s Coastal Cleanup Month, which aims to motivate people to clean up around their local neighborhoods. “It’s been really great and I think we have had a good response,” Jill Cloutier, the public relations director for Explore Ecology, told the NewsPlease see CLEANUP on A4
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