Governor Cuomo announced the closure of non-essential construction sites in New York. “Some construction is essential to keep the place running, but nonessential construction is going to stop,” said the Governor during a press conference on Friday, March 27, 2020.
Governor Andrew Cuomo delivering a press briefing on coronavirus on March 27, at Jacob Javits Convention Center in NYC, where a make-shift hospital is nearing completion. (Darren McGee - Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)
9. Construction
All non-essential construction must shut down except emergency construction, (e.g. a project necessary to protect health and safety of the occupants, or to continue a project if it would be unsafe to allow to remain undone until it is safe to shut the site).
Essential construction may continue and includes roads, bridges, transit facilities, utilities, hospitals or health care facilities, affordable housing, and homeless shelters. At every site, if essential or emergency non-essential construction, this includes maintaining social distance, including for purposes of elevators/meals/entry and exit. Sites that cannot maintain distance and safety best practices must close and enforcement will be provided by the state in coordination with the city/local governments. This will include fines of up to $10,000 per violation.
For purposes of this section construction work does not include a single worker, who is the sole employee/worker on a job site.