Governments in some parts of the country are slowing down construction, and in at least once case, halting it altogether. Boston, for example, has stopped all construction through at least the end of this week, and possibly longer. The only exceptions are emergency projects such as roadwork and gas hookups. Boston trade unions supported Mayor Marty Walsh’s decision, citing health and safety concerns, while Associated General Contractors of America CEO Stephen E. Sandherr issued his own statement contending that shutting down construction will do more harm than good to everyone.
Reports from A/E firm leaders around the country are hit or miss. Some organizations are experiencing very little, if any, slowdown in work, while other firms are trying to figure out how to string two or three months together. In general, at the moment interior portions of the country appear to be a week or so behind the level of impact being felt on the coasts from COVID-19.