Coronavirus is an ongoing threat to all of us. But, for migrant workers on temporary H-2B visas, a medical catastrophe would be 'very, very bad,” workers' rights advocates say.
Workers who travel to the crab houses of the Eastern Shore from Mexico do so largely by bus because it is inexpensive, Sánchez said. But the buses can be crowded, and the virus is thought to spread easily between people who are in close contact with one another, according to the CDC.
Another problem: Foreign workers could likely be among the millions of American workers whose hours are cut due to the coronavirus' crippling effect on the economy. Rural work locations are generally far away from hospitals; lacking personal vehicles, many migrants must depend on their employers for transportation, Sánchez said. If getting to the hospital or a doctor’s office means asking their boss for a ride, migrant workers may be even less likely to seek treatment, she said.
Centro de los Derechos del Migrante wants to see migrant workers nationwide guaranteed access to similar measures to those outlined in North Carolina's plan — they're advocating for isolated living quarters, COVID-19 testing and treatment as necessary, Guzmán said. “We all benefit when people are healthy and they’re showing up to work and they’re not getting other workers sick,” Guzmán said. “That goes back to the rationale for a paid sick days law that covers everyone. If your operation is dependent on these workers and one is sick and comes to work and gets everyone else sick … how do you keep your business going?”
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