(202) 748-8002 . pandemic, states have made their own requirements about what constitutes an essential worker. we want to hear from you if you are an essential worker. give us a call. dan in bridgewater, new jersey, europe first. -- you are up first. caller: the care of patients. to be honest with you, it is incredible the poor general procedure we have. to give you an example, if you go to a shopping center, you will see everybody is wearing a mask. but their hair is uncovered. the mask is only to protect others because it really does not protect the wearer. all these airborne viruses that get into their hair when they are outside or in a credit store

or something will be shed at home -- crowded store or something will be shed at home. none of these companies know anything about that. host: what do you do when you go out? guest: i wear a hood -- caller: i wear a hood with plastic over it. the other problem is there are a lot of patients who are disabled and they receive home care on three cycles a day. when the home care people proof positive, there is absolutely nothing done for those patients. they cannot could out of their beds -- they are disabled. the agencies do nothing about testing these people. the states do nothing either. the counties do nothing. and lastly, no one has been able to sanely discuss the transmission of the virus through vegetables and fruits.

the pickers are people who come all the way from mexico. ,he one time they get a salary they are not going to say i do not feel well. they are going to do the work. they are never being tested. -- only thing the states say they should tell them they cannot work if they are sick. you have to test these people. this country has been doomed by this virus because we do not test people at the inflection point. for the testing to be useful, you you have to think like mayor daley of chicago used to say. vote early and vote often. beforeuld test early they are positive, catch them when they are turned -- when they turn positive, and no what to do. instead, you have the orange orangutan.

host: good morning. i am a truck driver currently on the job. host: are you on the road? caller: i have got you on my headset. i'm on my way to make a delivery. host: how long of a drive is that going to be? caller: eight hours, but i typically do it 10 hours. host: what do you do when you have to make a stop? caller: i have got masks and i have got clothes. i wear hats, but i don't have no fancy plastic or anything. i keep my hands clean. i try not to touch too many things. host: the wife of a truck driver called in earlier when we did this question. she said her husband has a hard

time finding a place to go to the bathroom or to give food. people do not want him in their facilities out of what she believes is fear of the coronavirus. --ler: that is what i called that is why i called. truck drivers are essential because our foodstuffs or -- so we caneed keep going as a nation. i wanted to endorse what she said but in a harsher way. if i could, i would like to ask you and c-span, anytime you talk about it truck driver, i would like to ask, as she said, please let us use the restroom. we are human beings. --you're going to hoda's hold us they are demanding goods, everybody is a human. you know what i'm saying? and that's all. we are all doing the best we can

with the best we have got and we are going to keep it up. truck drivers are going to do it -- do our best, what we can. i am not asking for anything special other than please let us use the restroom. richard out of rochester, new hampshire. good morning. trucks.i load those where i work, we do allow drivers to use the restroom. absolutely. host: what is the interaction like? is it kind of like, everybody is in this together, or are they scared? caller: i work in a warehouse. during specialty foods peak season, christmas time, but we are in massive demand right now.

always going to be interaction, but we do our best. with truck drivers, they have all been really good. it is kind of tough, because i have to interact with them. i have to hand them paperwork, but everyone is understanding and keeps their space. more often than not, they stay in their trucks. they come in, do what they have to do, and stay in their trucks. in new hampshire, we are doing good as far as the interaction. i was at the grocery yesterday, and everyone keeps their distance. it is very good. host: everybody has heard the term essential workers since this began. did you think of yourself as an essential worker before coronavirus? caller: no. i knew it would pick up a little bit, but i did not realize it was going to explode. we are more essential than i imagined. host: a few comments.

coffee drinker writing in, i work for a vending company. still delivering too many factories and essential places. i see left out when things like bonuses for people doing things that i do. showed, we were talking about some of the democratic efforts were hazard pay and other things for essential front-line workers. this is john smith, i work in the coal business and clean the things i am in contact with. we need to go back gradually ,efore this economy goes busts which would call more death and suffering than any disease. and sandy, i am working for my school district. it has been a rewarding experience. we are also working to make sure we get computers distributed to kids.

essential workers this morning. anna is an essential worker in raleigh, north carolina. what do you do? cashiered and done tasks like that at a retail grocery store. from my experience, i can say with confidence, there used to be more of an emphasis on employees been able to stay at becausen they are sick there are a lot of employees in that hourlywho need wage for that day. there are some policies in place with some grocery stores, where if you test positive for but,avirus you get paid, of course, testing is not one her percent accessible and --

100% accessible and i do not think that rule should be exclusive to coronavirus. i think of somebody has the flu, they should have paid sick leave. if somebody has any type of sickness, both for their well-being and for the family and customer, that is something that is essential. it is unfortunate that it is taken -- has taken a pandemic to shed light on the need for basic need -- basic leave for hourly workers. i hope that this will create a industry in the retail and in public health. paid sick leave is not a luxury. it is a public health essential. host: what is one thing customers can do to help you feel safer as you do your job? hand thelease do not

cashier a used napkin. host: people tried to hand you a mask? caller: not a mask. if people ate there ice cream or something, they'd be like, hey can you throw this out? likereally simple stuff please cover your mouth when you cough. things like that. really just give the customer in front of you some space. things like that. and thehat the cdc presidential guidance -- six feet, stand six feet from people, would be helpful. -- grocery you know, delivery is backlogged at the moment. but if possible, if you can get something delivered, if you can

do grocery pickup -- in other words, if you're sick and can possibly do delivery or pickup, please do that rather than going into the store. host: tom. harrisburg, pennsylvania. caller: i deliver groceries. so i can echo what dana is saying. everyone -- no one is six feet apart. i don't think the american people are doing a good job. people are out not getting essential items. they are getting doughnuts or whatever. people have got to be smarter. host: what precautions do you take when you go out on these routes? caller: i don't wear a mask. that stomp -- that is tom.

caller: good morning. i am an essential employee. , and lessy i work for -- we have been seven 12's. we are essential. i have respect for the truck drivers because we have trucks lined up bringing in all the large ingredients. they have been out there waiting for 12 hours. and all the carriers that come and have been doing a really, really good job. now, when we first come into work, you take temperatures.

gloves andugh respirators. we have full respirators. we are based out of california. arkansasny is in making the raw materials. up.annot keep of lost jobsse out in other places? there is no testing. when we come in, we get a temperature check. have a 100.4, you cannot go inside the plant. i have a newfound respect for truck drivers.

we send the stuff all over the country. we set up a whole new system. the stuff to make hand sanitizer, we set that up in less than four days. we are in arkansas but the company is based in modesto, california. all the front line workers, the truck drivers, the support , some people are coming together and it is a good thing. we try to do our little >> we now leave this "washington journal for eight live coronavirus update here on c-span. update live