Judge halts several Washington COVID rules intended to protect farm workers
By Cameron Probert, Tri-City Herald
Published: April 26, 2021, 8:05am
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PASCO — A Yakima County judge last week blocked some COVID-related restrictions on farms and orchards.
Superior Court Judge Blaine Gibson issued an injunction stopping the state from enforcing a series of regulations that are meant to protect farmworkers.
The injunction included rules that:
• Required twice-daily visits from medical staff to isolated workers.
• Required workers to be within 20 minutes of an emergency room and an hour from a ventilator.
• Provided open access to people from the community.
The ruling left in place restrictions on bunk beds, which continues to be an issue for the two groups that brought the suit — the Washington Farm Bureau and Wafla.