DeSantis attributes COVID surge to farmworkers. Aid groups say testing help came late

[jmyrlefuller]

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article243614522.html

Public health experts and aid groups are challenging Gov. Ron DeSantis’ assertion this week that migrant farmworkers are driving Florida’s record surge in COVID-19 cases — noting that state help with testing, face masks and educational outreach has been late to reach agricultural communities.

After DeSantis said last week that “the No. 1 outbreak we’ve seen is in agricultural communities” and followed up this week with statements that “overwhelmingly Hispanic” farmworkers and day laborers were the leading source of new cases, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried fired back, noting that the majority of farmworkers left several weeks ago after harvests ended and that cases are spiking in non-agricultural areas.

COVID-19 likely has been present in Miami-Dade’s agricultural communities of Homestead, Florida City and Naranja for months, but those cases have been missed by the state’s testing efforts, said Patria Rojas, a public health expert at Florida International University.

Most farmworkers do not own cars and cannot be tested at the state’s drive-thru sites, Rojas said. They get to and from work in packed buses, start work before sunrise, and often labor in fields until sundown, she said. Because most of Miami-Dade’s farmworkers are immigrants, she added, they also tend to keep a low profile to avoid “anti-immigrant sentiment.”

(excerpts)

[jmyrlefuller]

This would make sense. The uptick coincides with the increases in cases in Latin America.

[libertybele]

This would make sense. The uptick coincides with the increases in cases in Latin America.

Not exactly.  There is a community within SW FL that has predominately a lot of farm workers that live in that area.  They are just now starting to test there and yes, the cases have been climbing in that area.  However, that area doesn't have a population large enough to spike the uptick and surge that we are seeing.  Once again, he is out and out lying and at best deceiving the country. I don't know who he thinks he's fooling, certainly not those that live in the area.  Shame on him!

I will not and cannot vote for him again. He continues to make up excuses for the  unemployment compensation failures and now the rise in COVID cases. There are thousands that still haven't received any benefits and tens of thousands whose benefits just stopped after only a couple of payments.  Yet he continues to proclaim, everything is fine and people are getting paid.  He again is out and out lying!!

I find the man just as despicable as the liberals; I consider him a lying RINO.

[Sighlass]

Because most of Miami-Dade’s farmworkers are immigrants, she added, they also tend to keep a low profile to avoid “anti-immigrant sentiment.”

Note: Bold added by me.

Let me guess, immigrants is code word for "illegals".

[libertybele]

Let me guess, immigrants is code word for "illegals".

Yes, Miami-Dade has a lot of illegals, (dubbed Little Havana)  but so does the other side of the State; although that community is much smaller in population.