DBIA’s mission is to provide the best resources available to help inform and empower our industry. In these uncertain times, that mission is even more important. As our communities fight the Coronavirus, we are working to find the best information available to help design-build teams navigate the unknown. This daily newsletter will provide the latest COVID-19 news for the AEC community.
Design-builders deliver in times of crisis and we will again.
If you have COVID-19 news impacting the AEC industry from your organization, state or community please email us.
June 3rd
National
What new PPP loan guidance means for contractors-Construction Dive. It hasn’t been an easy ride for those applying for or administering Paycheck Protection Program loans since the program went into effect on April 15. There has, however, been some progress to make the program more user friendly through the issuance of new rules and a bill passed in the House that awaits action in the Senate.
U.S. construction spending drops 2.9% in April-MarketWatch. Spending for U.S. construction projects dropped a smaller than expected 2.9% in April, the Commerce Department said Monday. Analysts polled by MarketWatch had forecast a 6.8% plunge due to the coronavirus pandemic.
States
Connecticut
New study will attempt to determine how widespread COVID-19 is in Connecticut-The Connecticut Mirror. Connecticut will be the first state to conduct a broad survey to determine how prevalent the coronavirus is in the state’s population. The research project will take blood samples from 1,400 randomly chosen people to discover how many have antibodies showing they’ve been infected by the virus.
New York
Coronavirus Hospitalizations In New York At ‘An All-Time Low,’ Says Cuomo-NPR. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that the “number of new cases walking in the door is at an all-time low.” Cuomo said that the number of new coronavirus hospitalizations reported on June 1 was 154, the lowest number since the state started counting in mid-March. New York has been the state hit hardest in the U.S. by the coronavirus.
Texas
Austin sees dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases since economy started reopening-CBS Austin. A record number of new cases last week has Austin health officials on high alert. During the week of May 25th, the area saw 425 new cases – the most new cases of COVID-19 that health officials have seen in a single week, since the pandemic began.
Washington
King County will apply to enter a modified Phase 1 of coronavirus recovery. Here’s what that means.-Seattle Times. King County, the county that includes the city of Seattle, plans to apply for approval to enter into a modified Phase 1 after Gov. Jay Inslee announced Friday he would not extend the state’s COVID-19 stay-home order. This includes additional construction and manufacturing operations.
Industry
A welcoming entry-point for wellness screening anywhere-Building Design+Construction. During the coronavirus outbreak, wellness often took center stage in discussions about long-term infection control strategies. WorkWell™ is a modular point of entry offers a safe and welcoming setting for health screening of individuals entering high-traffic buildings and public spaces.
Trade Supply Continues to Impact DFW’s Construction Industry-D Magazine. The COVID-19 pandemic caused companies and industries across the region to adapt. While some businesses were forced to close their doors, construction was deemed essential. But that doesn’t mean the ramifications of the global crisis didn’t impact business as normal.
The construction industry’s getting back to work after shedding a million jobs-MarketPlace. Spending on construction projects fell by nearly 3% in May. That figure may not sound terrible, but behind those numbers, there are a lot of lost jobs — almost a million in an industry that hadn’t fully recovered from the last recession.
Contact our editors if you have COVID-19 news impacting the AEC industry to share.