PROVIDENCE – Construction activity continued in Rhode Island this week as major projects moved toward completion in Providence, including the massive 6-10 Connector work and the finishing touches on the Providence Public Library.
But in Boston, all construction came to a stop, under an order from Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. He said the decision would be reviewed in two weeks, and said he was trying to contain the spread in the city of the viral illness COVID-19, now a global pandemic.
As of Wednesday, Massachusetts had 256 confirmed cases, according to The Boston Globe. Rhode Island had 33 confirmed cases.
The construction activity here is organized somewhat differently than Boston, according to Michael Sabitoni, president of the Rhode Island Building Trades. Boston has numerous mega-projects, including skyscrapers. In such buildings, hundreds of workers are laboring in fairly close proximity, he said.
In Rhode Island, the jobs are outdoors or in smaller teams. But he sent a statement Wednesday to all union members, stressing how important it is for everyone to “do their part” to limit the spread of the virus.
He said at job sites, workers must have appropriate personal protective equipment on at all times, stations should be set up for frequent hand-washing and sanitizing, and lunch groups and elevator rides should be shared by two to three people only.
That same day, Gilbane Building Co., one of the state’s largest companies, issued a lengthy public statement explaining how it is taking efforts to protect workers and project sites from the outbreak.
Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at macdonald@pbn.com.
