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Orders in Effect The Impact of State Orders on Construction Projects Guidelines Impacting Construction Projects Sources
CALIFORNIA
Proclamation of a State of
Emergency (March 4)
Executive Order N-33-20
(Effective March 19 until further
notice)
California’s Roadmap to Modify
the Stay-at-Home Order
(April 14)
Bay Area Counties’ Updated Stay
(Effective May 4 through May 31)
LA County Safer at Home Order
for Control of COVID-19
(Effective March 16 until further
notice; extended by May 13
Order)
• On March 4, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency, and on March 19 he issued
Executive Order N-33-20, which required all Californians to stay home or at their place of residence except
as needed to maintain continuity of operations of the federal critical infrastructure sectors, as outlined in
the
CISA Guidance. The Order also allowed for the designation of additional sectors as critical.
• On March 22, the State Public Health Officer designated a list of “Essential Critical Infrastructure
Workers,” which (in addition to the CISA Guidance sectors) included as a part of the “Essential
Workforce”:
o Construction Workers who support the construction, operation, inspection, and maintenance of
construction sites and construction projects (including housing construction)
o Workers such as plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other service providers who provide
services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, construction material sources, and
essential operation of construction sites and construction projects (including those that support such
projects to ensure the availability of needed facilities, transportation, energy and communications;
and support to ensure the effective removal, storage, and disposal of solid waste and hazardous
waste)
• It is important to note that while all construction work is exempted from this California’s statewide “Stay-
at-Home” Order, various California counties and cities have issued their own shelter-in-place orders that
are more restrictive and only exempt certain types of construction, including “essential infrastructure”,
public works, health care, and residential construction.
• By a joint statement issued on April 27, the six Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San
Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara) and the City of Berkeley have now published updated stay-home
orders, effective May 4. The updated orders extend the shelter-in-place requirements for most individuals
and businesses through May 31, with limited expansions to the definitions of essential business and
essential activities. The expanded definition of essential business now allows all construction projects to
resume, as long as the projects comply with the construction safety protocols (incorporated as
Appendices B-1 (small construction) and B-2 (large construction) to the orders. For more information
about the Bay Area Stay-at-Home Orders, see Pillsbury’s client alert
.
• On May 4, LA County issued guidance for construction sites
, which was developed in response to the need
for work
on constr
uction p
rojects th
at is n
ow per
missibl
e under the H
ealth
Officer’s Safer at Home Orders to continue in a safe manner. Under the Safer at Home Orders, construction is considered an Essential
Business and is exempted from the Order’s requirements that all businesses cease in-person operations
and remain closed to the public.
• California is currently in early Stage 2 on its roadmap
for modifying the stay-at-home order, where retail,
related logistics and manufacturing, office workplaces, limited personal services, outdoor museums, child
care, and
essential businesses can open with modifications. The state continues to update its industry
guidance to reduce the risk and allow the state to reopen safely.
COVID-19 Infection Prevention in Construction
• California Department of Health – COVID-19
Industry Guidance: Construction
• LA County Guidance on Construction Sites
• LA Building and Safety Guidance
• San Francisco Information on construction
projects during the coronavirus outbreak
• San Francisco Small Construction Project
Safety Protocol
• San Francisco Large Construction Project
Safety Protocol
• Order N-33-20
• CA Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers
• California State Executive Orders
• California’s COVID-19 website
• California’s Roadmap to Modify the Stay-at-
Home Order
• Update on California’s Pandemic Roadmap
• Western States Pact
• Bay Area Stay-at-Home Orders – May 4
• Safer at Home Order for Control of COVID-19,
Revised