More than a dozen COVID-19 cases at just one DC construction site

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The disease spreads quite easily. There are likely a massive number of people infected and spreading it, without anyone knowing.

For example, In four U.S. state prisons, nearly 3,300 inmates test positive for coronavirus -- 96% without symptoms. Similarly, at a Boston homeless shelter, 36% of the residents were infected, none report symptoms.

The doom and gloom predictions are - quite thankfully - not coming true. Shutting down all economic activity was never going to stop the disease, the language used was always about "slowing" the spread.

The doom and gloom predictions are not coming true BECAUSE OF THE STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS. Which did NOT shut down all economic activity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go ahead and ask those construction workers whether they want to keep working or take on risk of getting Covid. Most want to work.

And then they go and infect family members and others. And of course, the developers/construction firms will take care of all of the workers’ medical expenses.

[Anonymous]

The construction workers are DC’s equivalent of meat packers in the Midwest. Vegan DC Smart Growthers who cheer on construction continuing during quarantine should chew on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Construction is the only thing keeping my business a float.

And food on the workers table.

Thank god something is still open.

God bless you and your workers. We have a lot of road construction and construction going on in Florida. The economy was booming when Covid hit and there are a lot of signed contracts.

God save you and the people of Florida. You’re stuck with dimwit Governor DeDumbass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I expect the construction workers would rather be sheltering at home than out getting a miserable disease while the area's death numbers are still at peak. But we're not going to allow that.

You would expect wrong. People with staff jobs who can eff around working from home want to shelter in place. But there are millions of people out there one missed paycheck away from losing everything and they are desperate to work.

They are desperate to work because the alternative (as you say) is losing everything. That doesn't mean they wouldn't rather be sheltering at home.

I am freelance making no income as my entire industry is closed down. I can't pretend to work from home like most people on DCUM and collect a check every two weeks.

I expect to have income for January and February of this year and that's it. I've saved and lived frugally and can last a year plus, but am applying for jobs in essential positions because my industry may never come back. I have two children and will need to go back to work at someday so would rather start sooner than later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I expect the construction workers would rather be sheltering at home than out getting a miserable disease while the area's death numbers are still at peak. But we're not going to allow that.

You would expect wrong. People with staff jobs who can eff around working from home want to shelter in place. But there are millions of people out there one missed paycheck away from losing everything and they are desperate to work.

They are desperate to work because the alternative (as you say) is losing everything. That doesn't mean they wouldn't rather be sheltering at home.

I am freelance making no income as my entire industry is closed down. I can't pretend to work from home like most people on DCUM and collect a check every two weeks.

I expect to have income for January and February of this year and that's it. I've saved and lived frugally and can last a year plus, but am applying for jobs in essential positions because my industry may never come back. I have two children and will need to go back to work at someday so would rather start sooner than later.

Wouldn't it be great if people had more options than (1) starve or (2) risk getting and transmitting a potentially deadly infectious disease?

[Anonymous]

It would be awesome. I volunteered for the candidate who could have made that happen but for the second election in a row the DNC conspired against him winning.

[Anonymous]

Was that the socialist with three houses?

I'm a bit disappointed how many racist, sexist voters showed up this cycle, but wasn't shocked to see that guy lose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would be awesome. I volunteered for the candidate who could have made that happen but for the second election in a row the DNC conspired against him winning.

Yang?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“More than a dozen COVID-19 cases have been reported at a residential construction site in Navy Yard, and it’s not the only site with concerns. Fears over the virus spreading further at the renovation of a congressional office building could lead to a shorter workweek at the site to prevent the spread of the virus.”

https://dcist.com/story/20/04/30/more-covid-19-cases-reported-at-d-c-construction-sites/

Unlike NY, NJ, PA and MI which stopped most non-essential construction (ie, other than hospitals and infrastructure), DC deemed all construction activity — including for more high-end condos and commercial space to be “essential.” Now we’re just beginning to see the cost of cronyism and short term greed in the District. This outbreak is at just one site which is managed by a large, long-established construction company that probably has more experience and resources than smaller firms to ensure safety protocols are implanted. But social distancing is nearly impossible to do in construction.

Thanks, Bowser.

Not just construction, police had incident in neighborhood and not one of them wearing masking or social distancing or ensuring it when talking to neighbors even though regularly have a police car enforcing rules one block away at Lincoln Park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know in some situations many of construction workers live together as they part of a family or they are single. That could hasten the spread. While I agree non-essential construction should be shut down for the first part of the shutdown, there are some ways that companies could lessen interactions among workers so they don't have to worry about spread.

If this is true, then the construction site should be shut down until the true cause of the spread is understood.

Yep, I don't think it's the site--it's the riding there together, eating lunch together on break and living conditions outside the site

[Anonymous]

What is DC Health doing during all of this? Do they have inspectors hitting construction sites to spot check occasionally that workers are following agreed upon safe working standards.

DC Health does not appear to be involved in the quarantine sites, is not involved in spot inspections of construction sites.

Are they too busy inspecting restaurants still?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know in some situations many of construction workers live together as they part of a family or they are single. That could hasten the spread. While I agree non-essential construction should be shut down for the first part of the shutdown, there are some ways that companies could lessen interactions among workers so they don't have to worry about spread.

If this is true, then the construction site should be shut down until the true cause of the spread is understood.

Yep, I don't think it's the site--it's the riding there together, eating lunch together on break and living conditions outside the site

And hundreds of workers using the same three porta johns all day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The disease spreads quite easily. There are likely a massive number of people infected and spreading it, without anyone knowing.

For example, In four U.S. state prisons, nearly 3,300 inmates test positive for coronavirus -- 96% without symptoms. Similarly, at a Boston homeless shelter, 36% of the residents were infected, none report symptoms.

The doom and gloom predictions are - quite thankfully - not coming true. Shutting down all economic activity was never going to stop the disease, the language used was always about "slowing" the spread.

The doom and gloom predictions are not coming true BECAUSE OF THE STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS. Which did NOT shut down all economic activity.

Wrong!!

[Anonymous]

Are they all dying?