Watch: Farmworkers continue to work despite smoky conditions, Monterey Co. provides masks

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION)

UPDATE 8/20/2020 4:15 p.m. Video shared with KION shows farmworkers continuing to perform their duties despite poor air quality due to smoke.

To help, officials in Monterey County submitted a request with the California Office of Emergency Services and got 100,000 N95 masks to distribute.

So far, 10,000 masks have been distributed in addition to the free surgical masks previously distributed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of the N95 masks will be given to agricultural businesses to distribute to workers.

Businesses can contact the Agricultural Commissioner's Office at 831-759-7340 or 281-PUE-Workstation@co.monterey.ca.us to request masks.

PREVIOUS STORY: Supervisor Luis Alejo said Monterey County has distributed 10,000 N95 masks to farmworkers.

Alejo said another 80,000 will be distributed Thursday and another 20,000 will be coming later.

Air quality in Salinas and South County is considered unhealthy due to wildfires, but farmworkers are still out in the fields performing their jobs.