What is Harvest’s policy on cloth face coverings?

The CDC updated their recommendation that all Americans wear cloth face coverings in public settings.  This new guidance is to prevent the spread of the virus from asymptomatic individuals and not because the risk has increased from being outside your home.  As such all employees are free to wear their own cloth coverings/masks if they choose. The CDC notes: Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure. The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.

Harvest has been working to purchase masks for our front-line employees; however, masks are in extremely short supply and on backorder for weeks. In addition, our facilities continue to be locations at low risk for exposure and hospitals and medical facilities, at much higher risk, must continue to take priority with regard to masks. We encourage you to follow the CDC’s guidelines on making your own cloth face covering or mask here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html.