INDUSTRY NEWS
PERSPECTIVE
Staying ready… Challenges related to COVID-19 quarantine/reporting requirements By Deanna L. Koestel
C
OVID-19 set off a global pandemic with far-reaching effects impacting nearly every commercial sector, including the construction industry. Various federal, state and local governmental entities have implemented numerous recommendations and requirements in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus—which all businesses must adhere to—such as mandatory quarantine and reporting requirements. These recommendations and requirements, which are in a state of flux, pose additional challenges to the construction industry and are amplified by the risk of non-compliance, worries about contract breaches and the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. Many of these challenges and governmental regulations are likely here for the foreseeable future. The construction industry should devise plans to keep track of and implement the protocols necessary to adhere to the changing regulations. This will help them efficiently run their businesses while complying with the new COVID-19 requirements, and avoid unnecessary downtime, possible business closures and added expenses.
Addressing Mandatory Quarantine Requirements for Out-of-State Travelers
One challenge faced by the construction industry is how to reconcile the existence of any quarantine requirements for out-of-state travelers with the need to perform work. For example, the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have issued travel advisories that require individuals who have traveled to those states from areas with significant community spread to quarantine for no fewer than 14 days. “Significant community spread” is defined as an area with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day rolling average, or an area with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average.
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COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — NOVEMBER 2020