We have been closely monitoring Governor Cuomo’s task force meetings and the plan is to begin implementing Phase 1 reopening on May 15. Though current guidance is scarce, in line with White House Guidelines for Opening Up America Again, as of April 26, 2020, construction is included in the list of businesses that are eligible to reopen in the first phase. Specifically, “Phase one will include opening construction and manufacturing functions with low risk.”
We expect further instructions closer to May 15, but for now we highly recommend that you begin looking at your critical path, and determining which tasks could be considered “low risk” and be prepared to perform on May 15
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While this is certainly welcome news that construction looks like it will soon reopen, project owners should continue to monitor their contractor’s staffing levels and the availability of labor and materials. This is especially important in case there are force majeure disagreements later in the project.
