Immokalee farmworkers want a field hospital, county says not yet

Reporter: Lauren Sweeney
Published:
Lauren Bonica with Collier County emergency management. Credit: WINK News.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is circulating a petition and has sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis asking for a field hospital and additional personal protective equipment for farmworkers.

Thursday, a spokesperson for Collier County told WINK News by email that right now there is not a need for a field hospital in the area based on the amount of bed space available in surrounding areas of the county.

The CIW disagreed and sent a statement that said in part:

“We feel that this is exactly the time to be working on preparations for an alternative care site in Immokalee, given that current projections predict the surge of cases to hit SW Florida in the next week and half to two weeks, and the process of getting an alternative care site up and running can take at least two weeks”

MORE: Statement from Coalition of Immokalee Workers to WINK News

Lauren Bonica with Collier County emergency management said in an interview with WINK News reporter Lauren Sweeney that they are “inching closer” to needing to assess whether or not they’ll need to look to converting hotels or convention center sites into “non-congregate sheltering”.

“This non-congregate sheltering is kind of the reverse of of what we’ve done with hurricane season hurt all this time,” Bonica said. “Normally bring everybody together under one roof to protect them, but we need to do the reverse in order to protect them right now.”

Boinica said there is capacity at hospitals in Naples to treat the Immokalee community and that ambulance services and transportation would be provided to bring them there.

A major concern for Coaltion of Immokalee Workers is the difficulty in participating in social distancing to slow the spread of the virus.

Farmworkers pack buses to get to fields and live sometimes ten persons to one trailer.

Khristine Hollingsworth with the Florida Department of Health in Collier County said hand-washing stations have been set up at bus stops, and it’s been working with bus drivers to educate the Immokalee community.

“We can encourage farm workers while they’re waiting for the bus if they could stand six feet away from each other,” Holingsworth. “While they’re waiting for the bus, we’ve been working with the bus drivers to encourage workers to wash their hands before getting on the bus.”

Here is Collier County’s full statement on protections put in place to protect Immokalee farm workers:

Collier County Government in conjunction with The Florida Department of Health, Collier County Emergency Management, Collier County Sheriff, and other community partners, are aware and working to address the unique needs of the Immokalee community. We understand the concern and continue to meet with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, various non-profits in the community, as well as with the growers and farms to formulate solutions. The goal of this comprehensive approach is to support ongoing community-wide efforts to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in Immokalee.

The Florida Department of Health continues to provide their services and COVID-19 testing in Immokalee. The Healthcare Network of Southwest Florida continues to provide medical care and COVID-19 testing in Immokalee. A field hospital concept has been evaluated and determined unnecessary at this time due to apparent capacity at local hospitals.

Other measures and communications provided include:

  • Rolling bulletin board in Spanish and Creole
  • CCSO signage placed throughout Immokalee with COVID-19 related information in English, Spanish, Creole
  • Eight hand washing stations have been loaned to the bus stations from Lipman. Water- supplied by Immokalee Fire; soap will be replaced by the Coalition of Farm Workers and their teams.
  • Soap is being provided by Lipman, FDEM/CCEM/FLDOH. Stations secured by CCSO.

Additional outreach efforts:

  • All flyers and handouts are translated in English, Spanish, Creole
  • COVID-19 specific handout is translated into Mam
  • Forwarded information available to the public from DOH and Collier County Government to all non-English speaking media and agencies in Collier County (over 500 contacts).
  • Continuing Social Media Coverage
  • Daily interviews with area radio stations.
  • LaLay Radio, Conciencia Radio, Haitian Radio Kowona Kronik
  • Television interviews with Telemundo and Accion Hispana
  • Forwarded information available to the public from DOH and Collier County Government to all non-English speaking media and agencies in Collier County (over 500 contacts).
  • Continuing Social Media Coverage
  • Planning and ordering of potential isolation bed space via travel trailer for Immokalee
  • Planning and developing PA broadcast system of communicating prevention messages in English, Spanish, Creole throughout Immokalee area
  • Participation on twice weekly communication calls with Immokalee non-profits and Coalition of Immokalee Workers regarding unmet needs
  • Continued conversations with the growers and industry partners about farm worker safety
  • 2000 hygiene kits were given to the migrant and seasonal farm workers
  • 10 pallets of water were delivered to Benison Center and distributed to Immokalee nonprofits.
  • Met with the Coalition of Immokalee workers via Zoom multiple times to discuss the virus impacting their vulnerable community.

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