The prior order, expiring this weekend, shutdown all construction activities other than affordable housing or government projects—such as freeway work—that were deemed essential. With such low traffic volume, it’s a perfect chance for CalTrans and contractors to get lots of work done without affecting many motorists.
The revised order will allow a wide variety of construction crews to get back to work and start making money to feed their families. It was notable that the Bay Area was the only spot in the state to slam the door on construction—it continued unabated in Los Angeles which has been harder hit by the virus than we have here.
The shutdown affected huge jobs like the high-rise buildings under construction in San Francisco to a friend who had their adult daughter and her husband living with them because remodeling of their new home stopped cold. It now can resume.
It also frees landscapers and other outdoor crews to start serving their clients again. Just in time for late spring planting season, outdoor nurseries also can open for regular business. Limitations on child-care also have lessened and there’s more flexibility in outdoor recreational use.
Golf courses still can re-open with Covid-19 precautions in place. Courses opened this week in the Sacramento area and the Palm Springs area.
As I pointed out Tuesday, everyone will need to wear face coverings when in public.
Large gatherings in public are a long way off—in the final phase of the governor’s plan that he released this week. Just how excited people will be to join large crowds or go out and sit down for dinner in a restaurant remains to be seen.
Today, the governor is going to close state beaches after people flocked to them in Southern California last weekend. That may be the toughest hurdle for both people and law enforcement during May when beach weather is common in the southland.
What we’ve learned if you’re under 50 with no underlying health conditions, your chances of being seriously ill from the virus are slight and particularly among children so the governor’s thought of launching schools again in July to make up for loss time seems to make sense both educationally and from a health standpoint. Depending on their age, it’s the teachers and staff who might have risks.
