March 20, 2020 -- 8:30 a.m. PDT
CalAPA COVID-19 Update No. 4 -- March 20, 2020
Important Notice: This CalAPA "Member Alert" is an exclusive benefit of CalAPA membership and should not be shared outside a member company without prior permission from CalAPA.

SUMMARY:
The California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA) is closely monitoring events related to the Coronavirus / COVID-19 virus outbreak to assess what impact it will have on the asphalt pavement industry in California. What follows is the latest information gathered on the topic by the association since our previous Member Alert sent on March 18, 2020 at 5 p.m. Links to our previous Member Alerts are at the bottom of this report.

WHAT IS NEW:
  • Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide directive late yesterday (March 19) ordering Californians to stay home with some exceptions. His Executive Order is HERE. The order exempts activities related to "federal critical infrastructure" and references guidance on what constitutes critical infrastructure provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security HERE.
  • Caltrans Division of Construction advised CalAPA this morning (March 20) that state highway projects are continuing for now, although acknowledging that the situation is fluid.
  • The National Asphalt Pavement Association, a CalAPA partner, has established a COVID-19 web page of resources specific to the asphalt pavement industry. Click HERE.
  • CalAPA continues to contact members to gauge the impact of the COVID-19 situation on operations. At least one member plant has shut down operations, and others have modified operations. Availability of raw materials appears to be holding steady, but there was concern about the availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for workers in the future. Public works projects, in general, appear to be proceeding, but some construction activity deemed non-essential has been shut down.
  • CalAPA has been in constant contact with other construction trade association representatives in California and nationally to coordinate messaging to elected officials and agency personnel..
  • CalAPA continues to contact agencies and members to assess the impact of the health emergency statewide on operations and will continue to compile and summarize that information in upcoming "Member Alerts" as conditions warrant.

BACKGROUND:
New health advisories continue to be issued at the local, state and federal level with regard to the COVID-19 flu virus, commonly referred to as the novel coronavirus, which originated in China late last year and has been spreading quickly to other countries, including the United States. California is one of the states impacted, and the governor has declared a state of emergency as state and local governments mobilize resources to understand the nature of the flu-like virus, how it is spread, and what health implications it will bring with it. Business operations have already been disrupted as "shelter-in-place" orders are issued. Road construction has so far escaped most of these most severe restrictions as it is considered work related to "essential services" to protect vital infrastructure. CalAPA continues to seek out guidance from government and elected officials on how the public health emergency will impact the construction industry. There are concerns, however, over the potential for logistics and supply issues.

RESOURCES:
CALAPA RESOURCES:
CalAPA has assembled some COVID-19 resources of interest to the asphalt pavement industry in California on the CalAPA Safety Page HERE.

The March 18, 2020 CalAPA "Member Alert" sent on this topic is HERE .

The March 16, 2020 CalAPA "Member Alert" sent on this topic is HERE .

The March 16, 2020 " California Asphalt Insider " newsletter reporting the latest developments on the coronavirus impact to the association and the industry is HERE .

The March 10, 2020 CalAPA Member Alert with the initial assessment of potential impacts of the coronavirus to association operations and the asphalt pavement industry as a whole is HERE .

A March 2, 2020 CalAPA California Asphalt Insider newsletter article on crisis communications tips is HERE .

OTHER RESOURCES:
The State of California, Department of Public Health website devoted to providing updated coronavirus information in California is HERE .

The California Department of Industrial Relations COVID-19 webpage is HERE .
A California Department of Health Poster on tips for California residents to help prevent the spread of the disease is HERE .

The National Asphalt Pavement Association COVID-19 information page is HERE .

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage with information coronavirus is HERE .

For more information on this “Member Alert,” contact CalAPA Executive Director Russell W. Snyder, CAE, at (916) 791-5044.



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California Asphalt Pavement Association | (916) 791-5044 | www.calapa.net
P.O. Box 981300, West Sacramento, CA 95798