March 16, 2020 -- 5 p.m. PDT
CalAPA COVID-19 Update No. 2 -- March 16, 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 association operations, as well as the industry as a whole. Events are moving quickly. However, CalAPA has been in constant contact with key officials with regard to road construction and will continue to provide updated guidance as it is received by the association. Of particular importance is will road construction continue during this health emergency, and will contractors continue to be paid. So far, indications are that road construction is considered an extension of the "vital services" provision of recent health advisories and guidance and will continue, and contingency plans are being implemented to ensure that contractors are paid on time. Every jurisdiction and every project may be different, however, and members are encouraged to continue to be in close contact with project owners and other health and safety officials for guidance on how the health emergency may impact them specifically.

WHAT IS NEW:
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, with the hardest hit the travel industry, but other disruptions have been seen, or are anticipated in manufacturing, the service industry, the energy sector and elsewhere. A previous "Member Alert" on this topic sent March 10 is HERE . A CalAPA "Asphalt Insider" newsletter dated March 16 and containing current information as of March 15 at 6 p.m. is HERE . What follows are noteworthy developments today (March 16):

  • As CalAPA reported last week, Caltrans was preparing guidance for contractors providing additional clarification of how on-going road work may be treated with regard to the pandemic. That guidance was released today (March 16) in the form of a "Construction Policy Directive" (CPD). That CPD has now been posted on the Caltrans website HERE. The guidance notes that the definition of "working days" in Caltrans standard specifications anticipates the potential for a work stoppage for "unanticipated events not caused by either party, such as an epidemic."

  • Health officials in Contra Costa County, in the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the hardest hit counties in California so far by the COVID-19 epidemic, issued a sweeping health advisory directing residents to shelter in their homes to help slow the spread of the virus, with some key exemptions. The county website with a link to the advisory is HERE. One of the exemptions of the order is for "vital services," and officials have told CalAPA that road construction is considered one of those essential services. Randy Iwasaki, Executive Director of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, told CalAPA that two major construction projects on I-680 and Highway 4 will be permitted to continue at the discretion of the contractor, taking in consideration the health and welfare of the contractor's employees and others. Furthermore, Iwasaki said his office has instituted triple-redundancy with his administrative staff, who are working from home, and he pledged to maintain his agency's commitment to process payments within five (5) working days, which is his agency's standard. Iwasaki also noted that with reduced traffic congestion along the busy corridors, it may allow contractors to work more efficiently and complete the projects faster than previously planned.

  • At Caltrans District 4, the regional office that oversees state highway work for nine San Francisco Bay Area counties, including Contra Costa County, District Director Tony Tavares told CalAPA via e-mail that: "Construction activities are essential functions for the Bay Area. At this time, I have not heard of any immediate impacts. However, as this pandemic continues, we may begin to see disruptions to material supply lines, as well as potential Impacts to staffing levels across all disciplines." Earlier in the day, Caltrans District 4 announced it was temporarily closing down its headquarters office in Oakland, which houses close to 2,000 employees, when an employee on the eighth floor tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus. The announcement said the office would be closed through March 18 for cleaning, reopening on March 19.

  • CalAPA is contacting members to assess the impact of the health emergency statewide on operations and will compile and summarize that information in a future "Member Alert."


RESOURCES:

The State of California, Department of Public Health website devoted to providing updated coronavirus information in California is HERE .
A California Department of Health Poster on tips for California residents to help prevent the spread of the disease is HERE .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage with information coronavirus is HERE .
A March 2, 2020 CalAPA California Asphalt Insider newsletter article on crisis communications tips 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 .
The March 16, 2020 "California Asphalt Insider" newsletter reporting the latest developments on the coronavirus impact to the association and the industry 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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