Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis blamed the Hispanic farmworkers last week of the state's COVID-19 increase. Latino leaders and democratic lawmakers are now demanding an apology from the DeSantis.

Farmworkers
(Photo : Reuters Connect)
Mexican migrant workers pick blueberries during a harvest at a farm in Lake Wales, Florida, U.S.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said last week that the number one COVID-19 outbreak they have seen so far is from the agricultural communities, comprised of immigrants, specifically Latinos, and Hispanics. 

This week, the Florida Governor again asserted that the "overwhelmingly Hispanic" farmworkers were the leading source of COVID-19 cases in the state. 

However, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried opposed Florida Governor DeSantis's statement and said that the increase of COVID-19 in the state should not be blamed towards the Hispanic and Latino farmworkers because most of them left the country several weeks ago after the harvests ended. 

Fried also made it clear that the increase of COVID-19 cases in the state is not coming from the agricultural sector, according to a published report in Tampa Bay Times. 

Latino Leaders and Democratic Lawmakers Demanded an Apology

The Hispanic and Latino farmworkers played a crucial role in maintaining the country's food chain even before the pandemic. Their essential part in the community became even more significant when the country was in a nationwide lockdown. 

NBC News published in its report that Rep. Javier Fernandez strongly condemned the rhetoric statement of Florida Gov. DeSantis. He said that it is very embarrassing that DeSantis blamed his failed leadership in controlling the contagion towards the most vulnerable groups in Florida. 

Meanwhile, Vice President of the Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Florida Natasha Otero-Santiago demanded the Florida Governor to divulge information about where he got the data that Latinos and Hispanics are the groups who are spreading and are the cause of the exponential growth of the virus in the state. 

For the Florida Director for the League of United Latin American Citizens Cramer Verde, he said that the statement of DeSantis was not accurate because only nine percent of the total increase was coming to the Agriculture Sector.

Expanding Testing in the Rural Areas 

A coalition that is mainly comprised of 50 groups sent a letter to the Florida Governor and state lawmakers in late April asking them to expand the testing in rural areas and provide more Personal Protective Equipment. They also requested for alternative housing options for farmers who lived in crowded places. 

In fact, due to the lack of medical support and assistance from the federal government, this is the very first time that the "Doctors Without Borders" stepped in to help the migrant farmworkers in Florida. 

Moreover, the farmworker organizations blame the increase of COVID-19 cases in Florida to the state officials who ignored the organization's pleas for help, knowing that their community is one of the most vulnerable because they are always in the American field planting and planting harvesting without enough and sufficient protective equipment. 

Florida has recorded more than 100,000 cases and a death toll of more than 3,000, according to Worldometers. This makes them the 7th state with the highest number of cases in the country.  

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