Covid-19 Resources

​As we continue to wade through these uncharted waters of Covid-19 restrictions, the NMCA is here for you to help provide resources and a voice in Santa Fe. This information is on resources available and what the NMCA Board of Directors are doing to help protect our industry. Please reach out if you have any questions, need help with setting up a Covid-19 prevention plan for your operation, or have an input to the conversations we are having with the NM Environment Department (NMED).

Below are differences between the CDC and the NM Department of Health and the NM Environment Department.

Category	NM	CDC
Close contact within 6 feet	3 minute exposure	15 minute exposure
Self isolate if symptomatic (written guidelines)	10 days from beginning symptoms AND 72 hours fever free	10 days from beginning symptoms AND 24 hours fever free
Self isolate if symptomatic (oral instruction)	14 days from earlier exposure, beginning symptoms or test	10 days from beginning symptoms AND 24 hours fever free
Self isolate if asymptomatic (written guidelines)	10 days from MOST RECENT positive test	10 days from first positive test
Self isolate if asymptomatic (oral instruction)	14 days from earlier of exposure, onset of symptoms, or test	10 days from first positive test
Self isolate for close contact for critical infrastructure	14 days from exposure	Monitor these employees – continue working but 14 days off is preferred

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​Tips to prepare for a Covid-19 Positive Employee

1. Develop a COVID prevention policy. Make sure you cover everything in the state “All Together NM” guide. You should put together a model COVID prevention policy if you haven’t yet.
2. Use PPE religiously and enforce policy. The state looks favorably for added PPE, such as fixed Plexiglas barriers, face shields, and protective eyewear.
3. Make sure the wellness check asks more than temperature. Ask for other risk factors including COVID symptoms, exposure to someone with COVID, attending a gathering larger than 5 people other than housemates, etc.
4. Do not let someone who is sick work. Send them for testing and consider doing a complete sanitation.
5. If someone gets tested on their own, consider not letting them work until you get results back. They went to get tested for a reason which they may not be sharing with you. Require people to report if they have been tested.
6. The state will ask about close contacts: who was within 6 feet for more than 3 minutes (CDC says 15 minutes). Try to organize jobs so this occurs rarely but if it has to, keep a log of who is in close contact with who.
7. Try to separate employees temporally and physically to minimize who has to be sent for testing. Require social distancing at work unless job functions require it, and enforce it.
8. If someone is ill, exposed, or is COVID positive, act aggressively and document. Don’t wait for contact from the state – it may never come. Send the sick person home immediately. Sanitize completely. Often the employee has not been there for at least a few days because they went for testing or were feeling ill. Do your own internal contact tracing. Ask who they have been around in the past 3-7 days. Ask if they were within 6 feet for over 3 continuous minutes. Ask about personal time and contacts too since it will make a difference in giving an alternative explanation to infection. Ask employees if they socialize with other employees outside of work, if they have been around others (non-household) within 6 feet for over 15 minutes without masks. Ask if they have been exposed to anyone COVID positive. Require honesty or take disciplinary action. Make sure all know they can’t say who is positive because a health condition is protected by HIPPA.
9. Anyone who was in close contact (6 feet over 3 minutes) within 48 hours before symptoms or testing will be considered exposed and required to be off work and tested.
10. Be organized and ready to tell the steps you have taken.
11. Have an employee and customer communication plan. Make sure you comply with HIPPA – do not disclose the name of someone who is COVID positive.
12. Do not assume that because an employee tested positive that they were exposed at work. Most exposures are occurring at social events where there is close contact for extended time and no PPE.

​NMDA Update

The governor appointed a group of industry professionals to develop COVID Safe Practices (CSPs) for your sectors. It is critically important that you closely follow the CSPs in order to protect your community as a whole against this devastating virus. The sector specific CSPs can be accessed by visiting the New Mexico Department of Health’s website. https://cv.nmhealth.org/covid-safe-practices/

Western Growers Covid-19 Webinar Series Resources Available

In an effort to facilitate industry-wide adoption of the CDC-DOL interim guidance for agriculture workers and employers, Western Growers (WG) recently completed a three-part webinar series addressing the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures on produce farms and in facilities

Part 1: Basics of COVID-19 Assessment and Control Plans
Topics Covered

• Current COVID-19 state-of-play
• Key risk factors for produce operations
• How to develop an assessment and control plan
• Screening and monitoring workers
• What to do if a worker gets COVID-19, or has been exposed to COVID-19

RecordingPowerPointResources

Part 2: Assessment and Control Plans Do’s and Don’ts
Topics Covered

• Hierarchy of controls approach
• Engineering controls
• Cleaning and sanitizing
• Administrative controls
• Personal Protective Equipment

RecordingPowerPointResources

Part 3: Shared Housing and Transportation
Topics Covered

• Importance of leadership
• Using cohort strategy
• Employee housing
• Shared transportation
• Quarantine and isolation plans

RecordingPowerPointResources

CDC Guidelines for Agriculture Workers and Employers

Farm operations vary across regions of the country. This guidance provides a template of action to protect agriculture workers from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Agricultural employers can adapt these recommendations to protect workers at their particular work sites or in specific work operations.
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