New York state has updated its guidance for its COVID Cluster Action Initiative, which indicates all but essential businesses will be shut down if a region reaches Red Zone status, according to www.constructiondive.com.
The initiative divides clusters and the areas around them into three categories with successively higher restrictions: Yellow Zones, Orange Zones and Red Zones. According to a letter from the Associated General Contractors of New York State to its members, for contractors, the new guidance relies on a more restrictive definition of essential construction in Red Zone areas, removing previous language that appeared to broadly identify construction as essential.
The zones are designed to help control COVID-19 spread and protect hospital capacity in New York, which has seen rising caseloads since fall. According to an online tracker, no areas are deemed Red Zones, but there are several Orange and Yellow areas.
As COVID-19 cases continue to increase throughout the U.S., contractors are concerned about the potential for stop-work orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The AGC NYS recently led a statewide coalition of industry groups calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) to continue to deem construction essential in all zones. In a recent briefing, Cuomo provided contact tracing data showing construction as the source of exposure in only 0.66% of COVID-19 cases from September to November.
