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COVID-19 & AEC Update: May 11, 2020

aec update may 11

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.

May 11th

National

A Guide to Staying Safe as States Reopen-The Atlantic. Can I eat at a restaurant? Go shopping? Hug my friends again? Experts weigh in. May marks a new phase of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. Across the country, retail stores, restaurants, and other businesses are beginning to reopen. According to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, just over half of states had eased their public-health restrictions in one way or another as of the start of this week, with more states to follow soon.

Crumbling Infrastructure Is Hurting America’s Competitive Edge-Industry Week. Once it is safe to return to work, highways, ports and bridges will need the government’s immediate attention. With unemployment rates in the U.S. at historic levels due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to invest in areas that help get more people back to work.

Predicted Covid-19 US death toll keeps rising with states reopening and more people moving around-CNN. A leading model has increased its US coronavirus death toll projection again as governors continue lifting measures toward a reopening. That rise is largely due to Americans moving around more. In some places, the upward trend in movement began before statewide measures were relaxed.

States

Construction industry hit hard in Northeast-WMUR Manchester. New numbers from the National Construction Association show the industry has been hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Northeast.

Public Health Experts Say Many States Are Opening Too Soon To Do So Safely-NPR. By this morning, at least 31 states will have partially reopened after seven weeks of restrictions. The moves come as the White House pushes for the country to get back to work despite public health experts warning that it’s too soon.

New York

‘Back to where we started’ — New York coronavirus hospitalizations fall to March levels, Cuomo says-CNBC. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday that the number of new daily Covid-19 hospitalizations “takes us right back to where we started this hellish journey. Where we are today is basically, with the number of new cases, is basically right where we were when we started.”

Why the Path to Reopening New York City Will Be So Difficult-New York Times. The factors that made New York City the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic — its density, tourism and dependence on mass transit — complicate a return to any semblance of normalcy. The city is still far from meeting the public health metrics necessary to reopen, from available critical-care beds to new hospital admissions for the virus.

Texas

Texas begins to reopen after Covid-19 quarantine – but political controversy and health risks await-The Guardian. Gov. Greg Abbott has allowed businesses, stores and barbershops to open their doors even as the risk of increased cases remains high. Compared to other states, Texas’ reopening has been one of the quickest and most expansive efforts to reignite the economy.

Industry

Construction Loses 975,000 Jobs in April, Due to COVID-19 Impacts-Engineering News-Record. Construction’s workforce plunged by 975,000 in April—the steepest drop since at least the late 1930s. The industry’s jobless rate also soared to 16.6%, quantifying the first full month’s impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Coronavirus Has Devastated Construction, And Industry Wants Government To Step Up-BisNow. Construction firms around the country are concerned with government policies for the industry in a recent poll. Returning to work is also a top concern, as well as when the industry could begin to bounce back.

Contact our editors if you have COVID-19 news impacting the AEC industry to share.