Policy

Farm Safety Best Practices for Covid

The Mendocino Department of Public Health has released new Farm Safety Best Practices for combating the spread of Covid.  The County has seen an uptick in cases in the north part of the county, and the guidance below is designed to minimize risks on the farm.

Best Practices for Farm Safety

Home and traveling to and from the farm:

  1. Don’t travel if you are sick or if you have been in contact with someone sick in the last 14 days.
  2. Close contact is defined as anyone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more (in a 24 hour period) with or without a mask.
  3. If you want to get tested, especially if in close contact with someone who has been sick but you are NOT sick, testing is encouraged.  Resources in Ukiah are at the fairgrounds at www.mendocinocounty.org; see Covid-19 or call 707-472-2759 or contact your local health clinic.  For traveling vaccine event information, call 707-513-5469.
  4. Everyone should provide their own bedding, toiletries, food utensils, smoking utensils.  Do not share.
  5. Try and limit sleeping quarters to one person.
  6. Stay 6 feet distant/apart.
  7. Try to car-pool to/from work and elsewhere with only the people in your household or workgroup and open windows in the car and indoors.

If you have had close contact with someone who has Covid-19 symptoms or tests positive for Covid-19

  1. Covid-19 symptoms are fever (100.4F or more), chills, cough, shortness of breath or trouble breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.  Seek emergency medical care immediately. If trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds depending on skin tone.
  2. Quarantine immediately for 10 days, but keep watching for symptoms for 14 days. Stay home even if the Covid test is negative.  If you test positive, stay home AND notify your close contacts.  Call Mendocino County 707-513-5469 for assistance while in Isolation/ Quarantine (10 days)
  3. Get Covid-19 test at least by day 3-5
  4. Call and notify your provider that you have had close contact.
  5. Please ANSWER a phone call from Contact Tracer and cooperate. **Mendocino County serves all individuals regardless of citizenship, insurance, etc.

On the farm:

  1. Self-screen for Covid-19 symptoms, and if possible, take a temperature.  If temperature is over 100.4 or feeling sick (fever/chills, head congestion, headache, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, body aches, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea), return home and follow instructions in the next section.
  2. Wear a mask when around other people, inside (includes greenhouse), and outside and stay six or more feet apart!  Breathing heavily due to exertion can spread the virus to those around you.
  3. Wash hands and use hand sanitizer regularly.
  4. Don’t share tools, clothing, food utensils, joints, pipes, or other smoking paraphernalia, etc.
  5. Wash all tools after use.
  6. Consider activities that can be automated rather than done by hand.

If someone on the farm feels ill (see symptoms above)

  1. That person needs to isolate for 10 days. If short of breath and very sick, go to the emergency department.
  2. If the person has no local doctor, contact or go to the clinic or emergency room.
  3. If a test is positive, stay in isolation for 10 days, you should be contacted by Mendocino County Health Dept. with more instructions. Please talk to Contact Tracer and cooperate. **
  • For Isolation/Quarantine, restrict yourself, alone, to one room in the house (or outside alone). Assign one person to go to town for supplies, food, medications, etc. Don’t share utensils or toiletries.
  • Wipe down all kitchen and bathroom surfaces with disinfectant each time facility is used.

**MENDOCINO COUNTY serves all individuals regardless of citizenship, insurance, etc. 

COVID-19 vaccinations are free, and they are safe and effective.  There are three different vaccines available. They are Pfizer, Moderna (both are a two-shot series), and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen, a one-shot vaccine.

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