Department of Labor

Division of Immigrant Policies and Affairs

COVID-19, your farm, and your workforce

Interim Guidance for Prevention and Response of COVID-19 at Farms Revised May 27, 2020

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Operator Checklist for Farms

COVID-19 Prevention Tips for Farmworkers

Presentation for Agricultural Employers re: COVID-19

Here is a slideshow presentation for agricultural employers re: COVID-19.

Medical Resources

To assist people with finding medical resources, we have compiled this list. It may be of use to New Yorkers especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

• Medical Resources by county

Resource Guides

To assist people with finding important resources and services in New York including medical treatment, we have created three regional resource guides. Although, they were originally created for workers in agriculture, they may be of use to any New Yorker especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

• Western New York Regional Resource Guide
• Eastern New York Regional Resource Guide
• NYC & Long Island Regional Resource Guide

Flier about COVID-19 for New Americans

The State of New York has prepared this flyer to ensure that immigrants and refugees are well informed during the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Information about COVID-19 for New Americans (English) (Spanish/Español) (Haitian-Creole/Kreyòl Ayisyen) (Korean/한국어) (Russian/Pусский) (Chinese/中文) (Bengali/বাঙালি)

In addition to what is in the flyer, here are two important points to keep in mind for our communities:

• The New York State Department of Health has provided updated guidance on Medicaid coverage and reimbursement in light of COVID-19. According to the Department of Health, COVID-19 testing, evaluation, and treatment will be provided under Emergency Medicaid. This means all low-income individuals, regardless of immigration status, will have these services covered.


• Many immigrants may express fear that accessing health services related to COVID-19 will count against them in a "public charge" test if they are looking to adjust their immigration status with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It is important to always refer individuals to an attorney for their particular case, however, according to recent USCIS policy, medical services provided due to COVID-19 will NOT be counted under the "public charge" test. In addition, unemployment benefits and stimulus payments received under COVID-19 will also be exempt from the "public charge" test. It is important to remind anyone seeking medical care or receiving public benefits related to COVID-19 that they should keep copies of any related documents and receipts in case these are requested by USCIS.

What is the Division of Immigrant Policies and Affairs

This division of the State Labor Department addresses the needs, issues, and challenges of immigrants by:

• Doing outreach in immigrant communities
• Monitoring compliance with labor laws by farms and farmers in the state

About Immigrants in New York

Immigrants are a vital and growing part of the state’s workforce. New York State ranks second in the nation in both:

• Total number of foreign-born workers
• Share of all workers who are foreign-born

Although immigrants account for over $200 billion in annual economic output in New York, they are often wary of government, which keeps them from accessing key protections and services. This is due to several factors:

• English is not their first language
• They don’t know how government can help
• They fear government (based on life in their home country)
• They cannot get to government agencies during office hours