Five non-construction states set to resume activity
The remaining states that put a stop to residential construction activity due the COVID-19 pandemic, including Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington and Vermont, are now taking steps to allow home building to resume operations.
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has contended that residential construction can continue in a safe manner as long as workers were cautious and altered their normal behavior to comply safety guidelines.
According to the NAHB, its efforts combined with the work of state home building association, has prompted the final five states to allow residential construction to continue.
Here are the latest updates from the five hold-out states:
Michigan: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in an April 27 news conference that she may soon allow construction to restart in the state if the trajectory of coronavirus hospitalizations goes down and testing goes up. She told Politico that “low-risk” work such as construction and other “outdoor enterprises” could reopen in the next phase.
New York: Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced plans to reopen regions of the state in coordinated phases, starting with construction and manufacturing, in mid-May. The Empire State’s number of cases and death rate from the coronavirus is the highest in the nation.
Pennsylvania: Gov. Tom Wolf announced that all businesses in the construction industry are permitted to resume in-person operations beginning on Friday, May 1, as long as mandatory safety protocols are in place. The order says that operations can resume “pursuant to the Governor’s and Secretary of Health’s April 20, 2020 amendments to the Business Closure Orders so long as their activities strictly adhere to this guidance.” More details and new Pennsylvania safety guidelines can be found here.
Washington: Gov. Jay Inslee announced the first phase of construction openings in his state on April 24. Reps. Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers also contributed to this effort. More details on the construction openings can be found here. Building Industry Association of Washington Executive Vice President Greg Lane was part of the working group that developed the safety guidance to allow construction to begin in the state.
Vermont: As of April 27, Gov. Phil Scott allowed outdoor home building activities to resume with a maximum of five total workers per job site. Interior construction may occur in uninhabited structures, adhering to social distancing standards, with no more than five workers maintaining social distance between them whenever possible.
The Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC) has published updates to safety guidance for construction employers, employees and contractors regarding coronavirus exposure prevention, preparedness and response.
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has contended that residential construction can continue in a safe manner as long as workers were cautious and altered their normal behavior to comply safety guidelines.
According to the NAHB, its efforts combined with the work of state home building association, has prompted the final five states to allow residential construction to continue.
Here are the latest updates from the five hold-out states:
Michigan: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in an April 27 news conference that she may soon allow construction to restart in the state if the trajectory of coronavirus hospitalizations goes down and testing goes up. She told Politico that “low-risk” work such as construction and other “outdoor enterprises” could reopen in the next phase.
New York: Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced plans to reopen regions of the state in coordinated phases, starting with construction and manufacturing, in mid-May. The Empire State’s number of cases and death rate from the coronavirus is the highest in the nation.
Pennsylvania: Gov. Tom Wolf announced that all businesses in the construction industry are permitted to resume in-person operations beginning on Friday, May 1, as long as mandatory safety protocols are in place. The order says that operations can resume “pursuant to the Governor’s and Secretary of Health’s April 20, 2020 amendments to the Business Closure Orders so long as their activities strictly adhere to this guidance.” More details and new Pennsylvania safety guidelines can be found here.
Washington: Gov. Jay Inslee announced the first phase of construction openings in his state on April 24. Reps. Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers also contributed to this effort. More details on the construction openings can be found here. Building Industry Association of Washington Executive Vice President Greg Lane was part of the working group that developed the safety guidance to allow construction to begin in the state.
Vermont: As of April 27, Gov. Phil Scott allowed outdoor home building activities to resume with a maximum of five total workers per job site. Interior construction may occur in uninhabited structures, adhering to social distancing standards, with no more than five workers maintaining social distance between them whenever possible.
The Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC) has published updates to safety guidance for construction employers, employees and contractors regarding coronavirus exposure prevention, preparedness and response.