Gov. Newsom praises Riverside County for efforts to vaccinate farmworkers

COACHELLA, Calif. - An additional $24 million will be allocated for agricultural workers who need to self-isolate due to COVID-19. Governor Gavin Newsom announced the designation of funds into what is known as the Housing for the Harvest program, while touring a produce packing site in Coachella on Wednesday.

Newsom was joined by several Coachella Valley leaders at Sea View Packing, which was turned into a makeshift mobile clinic for vaccines. Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez, Rep. Raul Ruiz, and Riverside County public health officials were among those to attend.

Mayor Hernandez kicked off a series of speeches by elected officials.

"We are grateful here in the city of Coachella to the county of Riverside and the state of California for helping to ensure that we not only talk about equity, but more so that we deliver a solid plan and act on that plan," said Mayor Hernandez.

Before Newsom stepped up to speak, local leaders addressed the governor and the audience by focusing on equity, particularly for farmworkers. For many of them, the issues were personal after having been raised by farmworker parents.

"I grew up in a trailer park in the early years of my life with my farmworker parents," said Rep. Ruiz.

"I am very proud to be out here as the son of immigrant farmworkers as well and I grew up in 'Coachellita' down the street," said Perez.

"I’m the grandson of a brasero who raised me," said Hernandez.

Among the politicians were farmworkers who also spoke on the conditions of working in extreme weather.

"We’re here to identify their remarkable contribution to our state and nation but also to recognize our unique responsibility to do more and do better to support them, and frankly we haven’t done enough," said Newsom.

Newsom went onto praise Riverside County's efforts to administer vaccines to farmworkers through mobile clinics. A majority of the sites have been set up at farms to allow easy access for workers.

"What this county has done no other county in the state had done, you were first to advance the cause," said Newsom.

The governor went onto add that those same efforts needed to be 'replicated' across the state of California.

"To the farmworkers themselves, these things don’t just magically arrive in the grocery store," said Newsom as he held an orange in his hand. "There are folks out there every single day in 120 degree heat that make sure these arrive on your grocery store."

Rep. Ruiz also delivered an impassioned speech calling for equity and to prioritize the most vulnerable communities to receive the vaccine.

"Equity must be in the forefront, not only in the legislation but also in the administration of vaccines and COVID relief all over our nation. It should no longer be an after thought and we should no longer act surprised when there are disparities in equity, disparities for those that are highest risk of getting infected and dying and yet they have the highest risk of not getting the vaccines," said Rep. Ruiz.

Newsom acknowledged the effort on getting those communities resources, but also spoke on the challenges with vaccine supply.

"We have distributed every single dose of vaccine that the federal government has provided through a network that actively includes over 1,100 plus providers. What we need is more manufactured supply," said Newsom.

On Tuesday the Biden administration announced it would be increasing shipments of the vaccine from 11 million to 13.5 million in an effort to get more people the vaccine. Newsom added that the state is waiting for those shipments to get them in the arms of Californians as soon as possible.