An Outbreak of COVID-19 Among H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers

During the COVID-19 pandemic, attention has focused on outbreaks in meatpacking and other food production facilities. However, substantive problems have also arisen among agricultural worker populations, including temporary workers brought to the United States under H-2A visas.1,2 H-2A workers face the same environmental and occupational health risks as all farmworkers but may be even more vulnerable because they have less control over their living and working environments. Here we report on a COVID-19 outbreak in a crew of more than 100 H-2A workers in north central Florida to characterize factors that may contribute to the spread of COVID19 in this essential workforce.3