Tague Demands Cuomo Administration Reverse Decision to Exclude Farm Workers From Phase 1B Of Vaccine Rollout
March 3, 2021
Assemblyman Chris Tague (R,C,I-Schoharie) is demanding that the Cuomo administration and state Department of Health reverse its decision to exclude farm workers from Phase 1B of COVID-19 vaccine distribution. The decision to exclude farm workers from this phase of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout contradicts CDC guidelines, and is especially concerning given the many factors that make farm workers especially vulnerable to COVID-19. This was shown when the largest COVID-19 outbreak to date in upstate New York occurred in a greenhouse in Madison County, where 139 laborers tested positive for the virus.
“The decision to exclude farmer workers from Phase 1B of the vaccination rollout is both dangerous and unwise, defying both federal guidance and common sense,” said Tague. “The nature of the work they do puts them at a high risk of catching and spreading this dangerous disease, and here in upstate New York we’ve seen some of our worst outbreaks of COVID-19 start among agricultural workers. Failing to protect those who put food on our tables will only end in disaster, because we must remember, with no farms, we have no food, and these are the people who get that food from the fields onto our plates.”