News in California and Agricultural Industry 
by TSPN Secretary Doug Williams

​The big news in California and in our agricultural industry is Covid19 and its impact on the agricultural workplace. The latest guidance issued is summarized below:

1. Overall state of California guidance:

COVID-19 continues to surge at alarming rates in California. The Regional Stay Home Order, announced December 3, 2020, will prohibit gatherings of any size, close operations except for critical infrastructure and retail, and require 100% masking and physical distancing.
This order was lifted in January due to reductions in COVID-19 and hospitalizations.

1. Covid19 effect on agriculture

During January and February, California will be moving into Phase 1B (Tier One), which includes food and agricultural workers. This tier puts dairy workers in the same category for availability as persons 65 years and older, fire and police first responders, teachers, and childcare workers. The logistics of vaccinating California’s 3.5 million food and ag workers, however, mean that the process may be prolonged and vary in different locations. Vaccine availability is constantly changing, and California residents should check the state’s vaccination homepage frequently.
 
COVID-19 General Checklist for Agriculture and Livestock Employers
https://westernuniteddairies.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/checklist-agriculture.pdf

• Topics for Employee Training Information on COVID-19 include preventing spread, and who is especially vulnerable, self-screening at home, the importance of hand washing and of physical distancing, both at work and off work time and proper use of cloth face covers.
• Individual Control Measures & Screening Symptom screenings and/or temperature checks. Encourage workers who are sick or exhibiting symptoms to stay home
• Cleaning and Disinfecting Protocols: Perform thorough cleaning in high traffic areas. Frequently disinfect commonly used surfaces. Clean and sanitize shared equipment between each use. Clean restrooms frequently. Use products approved for use against COVID-19 on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved list and follow product instructions and Cal/OSHA requirements. Consider upgrades to improve air filtration.
• Physical Distancing Guidelines Implement measures to physically separate workers by at least six feet using measures such as physical partitions or visual cues (e.g., floor markings, colored tape, or signs to indicate to where workers should stand).

1. Also affected by the COVID19 pandemic is the annual World Ag Expo usually held in Tulare, CA in February. The Expo has gone virtual with the following announcement made:

World Ag Expo going online and FREE – February 9-11, 2021 Creating a My Show Planner account is your FREE ticket to maximizing your 2021 World Ag Expo® Online experience. You can use this free tool (https://wae21.mapyourshow.com/8_0/login/login.cfm) to browse through all of the companies and products at this year’s virtual event. You must have a World Ag Expo® Online My Show Planner account to access exclusive content only available to planner users. Your very own personalized account that allows you to: • Compile a must-connect-with list of exhibitors • Access exclusive discounts and giveaways • Participate in online education sessions • Access resources such as press releases, brochures, white papers, and video URLs • Create a list of new products you are interested in • Save, email, and live chat with company contacts • Explore scheduled events Take advantage of this tool and start maximizing your virtual event experience today!