Several cities and counties across the state have issued orders limiting construction projects or requiring contractors and project owners to develop and implement safety guidance and COVID-19 exposure control plans for ongoing construction projects. On March 30, 2020, the Bay Area Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara, San Francisco, and San Mateo, and the City of Berkeley, issued orders halting construction projects, including private works construction projects, except for those necessary to ensure that residences or buildings containing essential businesses are safe, sanitary, or habitable, or to secure construction sites that must be shut down.
Private construction may continue in other areas of the state. However, several other cities and counties issued guidance for increased safety requirements that contractors and owners must implement to control exposure to COVID-19. For example, the City of Los Angeles issued an or-der that contractors must provide personal protective equipment (PPE) as appropriate, projects must have hand sanitizer and wash stations, and workers must practice social distancing by keeping at least six feet of distance from each other at all times.
Construction project safety guidance is constantly evolving during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Private schools engaged in construction projects should regularly check their local city or county orders and ensure their contractors are following any required safety guidance or COVID-19 exposure control methods.