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 29th
National
CDC Tells Employers To ‘Change The Way People Work’-ConstructionLaw360. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a step-by-step blueprint on how to reopen amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, telling employers in no uncertain terms that getting back to business shouldn’t mean business as usual.
Construction Industry Hit Hard by the Coronavirus Pandemic-U.S. News & World Report. Many states permitted construction projects to continue throughout the coronavirus pandemic in some capacity. However, the industry has hardly escaped unscathed. Unemployment in the construction industry in April was more than triple what it was at the start of the year, leaving about 1 million more construction workers without work.
States
California
What can reopen, what can’t as California hits 100,000 cases-Sacramento Bee. Although states are gradually beginning to reopen their economies, economic devastation has continued, ensuing shutdowns across a broad range of industries. California has suffered 3,973 total fatalities among at least 101,697 total cases, the state Department of Public Health said in a Thursday update.
Florida
Lockdown let state accelerate massive I-395 project-Miami Today. The drop in traffic on Miami’s streets and freeways has allowed the state transportation department to accelerate the progress on the I-395/SR 836/I-95 Design-Build Project. The goal was to advance the project by one month. This week, the FDOT reported that goal has been achieved.
New York
NY Governor To ‘Fast Track’ Key NYC Projects to Boost Virus Recovery-Engineering News-Record. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced plans to ‘fast-track’ work on several major NYC regional infrastructure projects. He also said the state will fast-track infrastructure work to transport “low-cost renewable power downstate and production upstate” with construction of new cross-state transmission cables.
Texas
Texas reports single-day high in new coronavirus cases as deaths, cases double in May-Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The state of Texas reported a single-day high 1,855 new coronavirus cases and 39 deaths on Thursday. The total COVID-19 cases in the state have doubled since May 1 to 59,776, including 1,601 deaths. Pandemic-related deaths in Texas have also nearly doubled since a total of 816 was reported on May 1.
Industry
OSHA Tells House Panel It Just Issued First Virus Citation-Law360. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued its first coronavirus-related citation “within the last week,” the embattled head of the agency told lawmakers Thursday at a marathon House subcommittee hearing on OSHA’s virus enforcement — or its alleged lack thereof.
The states where COVID-19 has impacted construction most-Archinect. A monthly review of the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data on construction industry employment found that states with the strictest lockdown protocols have fared the worst with regards to construction job losses. New York State saw the largest number of job losses overall while Vermont saw the steepest month-to-month drop by percentage.
Construction industry is like ‘a rocket about to take off’-Construction Dive. This is part of a series of conversations with industry leaders about the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on their firms and their markets. This interview features Chuck Goodrich, president/CEO of Indianapolis-based Gaylor Electric.
Contact our editors if you have COVID-19 news impacting the AEC industry to share.