ERIE COUNTY, N.Y. — The Erie County Department of Health announced Monday that the country will provide free COVID-19 testing for agricultural workers.
This news comes after the state Health Department, along with the Department of Agriculture and Markets, announced last week that they will send out mobile testing teams to counties that have the highest influx of seasonal workers.
“We know that the Erie County agricultural community is taking significant precautions to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission among its workforce,” said Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein in a press release. "However, agricultural settings may put farm workers at a higher risk for transmission of COVID-19 because of shared transportation and living quarters, and workers moving from farm to farm throughout the growing season.”
These tests will come at no cost to farmers, agricultural businesses or employees and will be coordinated with Kaleida Health.
Farm owners and agricultural businesses that would like to participate in this program can contact the Kaleida Health Laboratories at (716) 626-7939.
