LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County pear harvest concluded a few weeks ago, and the local pear industry is breathing a sigh of relief that the season’s primary worry did not come to fruition.
Thanks to the diligent efforts of the ag community, the workers and Lake County Public Health, there were no major outbreaks of COVID-19 that resulted from pear harvest.
Preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace has been the No. 1 objective in the fields and packing sheds this summer.
Local ag employers were meeting with Lake County’s Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace as early as June to prepare for pear harvest.
“Dr. Pace provided great leadership and support,” said Pat Scully of Scully Packing, Lake County’s remaining pear packer. “He held multiple weekly Zoom meetings with ag employers before and during the season with detailed suggestions for precautionary measures.”
Scully added of Pace, “He was committed to avoiding an outbreak and his suggestions were instrumental in avoiding one.”
The outdoor nature of harvesting pears naturally allows for social distancing. Pear farmers put additional precautions in place surrounding break times and congregate living situations for out-of-county crews.
The packing sheds, however, were a larger source of concern, as the effort requires many employees working indoors in close quarters.
Scully Packing made substantial changes this year to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 spread among its employees.
Facility modifications included ventilation systems all through the sheds, vinyl dividers at sorting stations, extra handwashing and sanitizer stations, and a complete redesign of the front office. Face masks were required and provided and family members/carpool groups were assigned to the same work areas.
Trees were removed in the orchard adjacent to the shed to erect two large tents for training and breaks with 150 new picnic tables for required social distancing.
Scully Packing also implemented procedural changes and employee training which helped to prevent an outbreak.
Four infrared facial recognition digital thermometers were purchased to test each employee as they entered the workplace.
On the third day of packing, one family unknowingly came to work with COVID-19 and were stopped after being screened by office staff.
“We immediately sent all three family members who were working, and one who was scheduled to report the next day, home to quarantine until testing could be done,” Scully said.
He said the family members tested positive and were quarantined for the required 14 days.
Thankfully, it was an isolated incident, according to Scully. “While several other people got tested during the season, no other positive cases were reported. We did have several workers who had been identified as close contacts that were kept away from work until their quarantine periods had expired.”
All supervisors and employees received intensive training on COVID-19 prevention, symptoms and procedures. This included payment for lost wages for those with positive tests.
Scully also gives credit to the employees for the success of these measures.
“We had about 450 employees between the two sheds,” Scully said. “Everyone followed the guidelines to protect themselves and their fellow workers. They stayed home and reported when they felt sick, wore their masks constantly, practiced diligent hand washing, respected social distancing rules during breaks, and were conscientious about avoiding social gatherings outside the workplace. Nobody wanted to get sick and we all followed the rules to keep each other well. It worked!”
In his Sept. 22 update to the Board of Supervisors, Dr. Pace praised Lake County’s pear industry.
“We did have some real success over the past few months in the agricultural industry. The pears have been harvested and packed and there were no serious outbreaks there. Many workers came from out of the area, lived in congregate living situations, and worked in the packing sheds or other close quarters. The owners, managers and workers all put a lot of effort into taking steps to control the spread of the virus in these risky settings,” Pace said.
The conclusion of pear harvest coincides with the beginning of winegrape harvest. Winegrape employers have been involved in the meetings with Dr. Pace as early as June and have already employed mitigating measures in the field.
In early September, Scully and Dr. Pace met with winery operators via Zoom to share Scully
Packing’s successful procedures for indoor operations.
The Lake County Ag Department still has masks and sanitation supplies available for ag employers and their employees.
Contact the Lake County Ag Department at 707-263-0217 for more information.
Lake County pear growers and packers celebrate safe season
- Lake County News reports
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