You are reading

City to Shut Building Sites to Protect Construction Workers From Coronavirus

Manhattan Construction Site (Photo: wiki Sterilgut assistentin CC BY SA-3.0)

March 27, 2020 By Michael Dorgan

The city is shutting down most building sites to curb the spread of coronavirus and protect construction workers from getting infected.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared that non-essential construction will end today, effectively bringing the private construction sector to a halt, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on WNYC Friday.

Until now, construction workers had been allowed to continue to work under the state’s “pause” shutdown order because they were deemed as essential workers.

“Anything that is not directly part of the essential work of fighting coronavirus and the essential work of keeping the city running and the state running…is going to end,” de Blasio said in response to an on-air call from a concerned construction worker.

Construction workers have been raising the alarm about contracting the virus on-site and spreading it to their families. Many have said it is impossible to properly socially distance from co-workers at sites due to confined spaces and a lack of proper personal protective equipment.

On Thursday, a local carpenters union appealed to Governor Cuomo to narrow the definition of essential worker, saying that its members’ lives were at stake because not all construction work was essential.

De Blasio admitted that the issue had been missed early on as the city attempted to get to grips with COVID-19 spreading.

It is understood that public works like infrastructure, transportation projects, and affordable housing will be allowed to continue. Emergency repairs and hospital building construction will also not be affected.

“Luxury condos will not be built until this is over,” the mayor said.” Office buildings are not going to be built.”

 

email the author: news@queenspost.com

One Comment

Click for Comments 
Daniel Wood

Now construction sites continue to work and I live where there is a lot of construction going on, and I’m not seeing physical distancing among construction workers. Will construction workers end up being a pool of transmission? https://www.workplacefairness.org/ Social distancing at a construction site is nearly impossible.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

DA Katz introduces Kimi, the facility dog providing comfort to Queens crime victims

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz introduced one of the newest members of her team on Wednesday as part of her office’s public information campaign during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Kimi, a 2-year-old golden retriever/Labrador retriever, has been appointed as a facility dog to provide comfort and companionship to crime victims and witnesses. “Kimi has been an extraordinary addition to our team here at the Queens District Attorney’s Office,” Katz said. “She’s affectionate, highly trained, and has already assisted survivors and witnesses and put them at ease.”

Mets to host playoff watch parties at Citi Field

Oct. 3, 2024 By Ethan Marshall

As the New York Mets look to clinch a trip to the National League Division Series Wednesday night in Milwaukee, the team announced that beginning as early as Thursday, Oct. 3, Citi Field will be hosting watch parties of select away games during the playoffs.