April 2, 2020 -- 5 p.m. PDT
CalAPA COVID-19 Update No. 9 -- April 2, 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 31, 2020. Links to our previous Member Alerts are at the bottom of this report.

WHAT IS NEW:
  • The counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara on March 31 signed on to a new directive further restricting construction activity in those counties, replacing previous ordered that had been in place since March 17. Most residential and commercial construction is restricted, with some limited exceptions. The Santa Clara County order is HERE. Public works construction, such as road work, is considered exempted if deemed so by a public works agency.
  • Gov. Gavin Newsom, during a press conference today (April 2), was asked if the administration was considering imposing additional restrictions on construction statewide. The governor said he was generally satisfied with the statewide guidelines his administration has produced so far with regard to construction, saying, "I'm satisfied with those state directives." He said local jurisdictions have the authority to impose stricter restrictions based on local conditions. His answer to that question can be viewed at the 13;37 mark of an on-line broadcast of his remarks HERE.
  • Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has stressed that workers on construction sites must adhere to various safety and "social distancing" protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Los Angeles City Department of Building & Safety released guidance on March 31 warning that city inspectors may take action if they witness unsafe practices on a job site. "Construction industry employers shall develop a comprehensive COVID-19 exposure control plan," the guidance states, adding, "Failure to comply with this guidance shall be deemed as creating unsafe conditions and may result in withheld inspections or shutting down the construction site until corrected." The guidance can be viewed HERE.
  • The asphalt pavement industry in California continues to participate in various activities to train workers on safe practices as they relate to COVID-19 and to ensure compliance.
  • The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has released new COVID-19-related guidance to the construction industry. An updated general guidance memo to the construction industry from Caltrans Chief Engineer Mike Keever, dated April 1, is HERE. A banner notification on the Caltrans website accessed April 2 states, "Caltrans is maintaining the current schedule for contracts bid openings this week. As the impacts of COVID-19 are dynamic, the Department will evaluate future Bid Openings on a weekly basis. The Department will update this message as the situation warrants."
  • Caltrans has also issued new Construction Policy Directives with regard to "Shop Drawing Submittals" and "Source Inspection Procedures During Coronavirus disease pandemic." Those and previous directives can be viewed HERE.
  • In response to inquiries to the association, CalAPA contacted officials with the California Occupational Health & Safety Administration (CalOSHA) and confirmed that CalOSHA inspectors are not visiting construction job sites to verify COVID-19 safety procedures are in place. CalOSHA officials said the current procedure is if they receive a report of a work site that may not be in compliance, they will send the employer an informal letter.
  • The latest issue of the CalAPA association magazine, "California Asphalt," has been published on-line. The special "emergency response"-themed issue includes articles on crisis communications, tele-working conducting remote meetings and partnering. The issue can be viewed on-line HERE.
  • 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. In general, member companies continue to perform work under new safety protocols.

BACKGROUND:

Guidance from government officials continues 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, and is monitoring supply chains to identify and assess upstream disruptions.

RESOURCES:

CALAPA RESOURCES :

CalAPA is constantly updating its clearinghouse of COVID-19-related resources of interest to the asphalt pavement industry in California on the CalAPA Safety Page HERE .

The March 31, 2020 CalAPA "Member Alert" COVID-19 Update No. 8 is HERE.

The special "Emergency Response"-themed issue of CalAPA"s "California Asphalt" magazine, with articles on crisis communications, tele-working, remote meetings and more, is HERE.

The March 30, 2020 edition of the "California Asphalt Insider" newsletter, featuring a roundup of COVID-19 issues and impacts to the asphalt industry, is HERE.

The March 29, 2020 CalAPA "Member Alert" COVID-19 Update No. 7 is HERE.

The March 24, 2020 CalAPA "Member Alert" COVID-19 Update No. 6 is HERE .

The March 23, 2020 CalAPA "Member Alert" COVID-19 Update No. 5 is HERE .

The March 23, 2020 edition of the " California Asphalt Inside r" newsletter, featuring a roundup of COVID-19 issues and impacts to the asphalt industry is HERE .

The March 20, 2020 CalAPA "Member Alert" COVID-19 Update No. 4 is HERE .

The March 18, 2020 CalAPA "Member Alert" COVID-19 Update No. 3 is HERE .

The March 16, 2020 CalAPA "Member Alert" COVID-19 Update No. 2 is HERE .

The March 16, 2020 edition of the " California Asphalt Insider " newsletter featuring a roundup of COVID-19 issues and impacts to the asphalt industry is HERE .

The March 10, 2020 CalAPA Member Alert with the initial assessment of potential impacts of the COVID-19 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 .

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

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage with information on COVID-19 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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