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

[Anonymous]

Ask the current government. Why are those who work hard at physical jobs that don't pay enough to make rent where those jobs are required are only getting a thousand one time buck when big businesses and millionaries are getting tax breaks in the millions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask the current government. Why are those who work hard at physical jobs that don't pay enough to make rent where those jobs are required are only getting a thousand one time buck when big businesses and millionaries are getting tax breaks in the millions?

Follow the money.

[Anonymous]

12 guys on one site? That means that they probably exposed at least another 36 people in their homes, assuming a spouse and two kids.

You can see how this expands exponentially.

There are two rowhouses being flipped on my block right now in WOTP DC. There are 8-10 workers per day at each house, no one wearing masks. The houses are small and most of the work is done inside the structure. Same will all the construction happening at the apartments next to the Trader Joe’s on Wisconsin Ave in Burleith - few masks, no social distancing, and I doubt few precautions taken to disinfect shared surfaces.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:12 guys on one site? That means that they probably exposed at least another 36 people in their homes, assuming a spouse and two kids.

You can see how this expands exponentially.

There are two rowhouses being flipped on my block right now in WOTP DC. There are 8-10 workers per day at each house, no one wearing masks. The houses are small and most of the work is done inside the structure. Same will all the construction happening at the apartments next to the Trader Joe’s on Wisconsin Ave in Burleith - few masks, no social distancing, and I doubt few precautions taken to disinfect shared surfaces.

There are hundreds of workers daily on site at the Fannie Mae site (rechristened CitiRidge by developer) on Wisconsin Ave.

[Anonymous]

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.

I dont think you know any of these people. Yes everyone would rather be sheltering at home if they were guaranteed their income forever, but that's not realistic. If the alternative is 1/2 income for 6 months then nothing, I'm going to guess they'd rather work and be able to feed their children.

NP. I guarantee you that they would rather get sent home to be safe and help watch their kids safe at home while receiving unemployment and the $600 PUA on top of that each week, plus the extra SNAP benefits for food, plus the $1200. They should be able to do that for at least a couple of months until this thing gets truly reduced. They are being sacrificed for the economic benefit of others, not for them. Don’t pretend they are happy to have the work right now. JFC.

Unless you are personally sending your kids to mix it up with a bunch of other kids at one of the essential worker kid care sites each day, and working normal hours (or more) through this pandemic, and getting exposed constantly while probably living with many people, some who are at real risk of suffering from this virus, don’t cry crocodile tears over their kids’ food from your fluffy couch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stay-at-home isn't causing it. The white-power militia orgs have been wanting a chaotic situation to exploit for a while, and have chosen this moment for a show of force.

THIS.

Go ahead and protest, but do you need to bring all your automatic weapons, etc? No, of course you don't. This is just an excuse for all of these ignorant, horrible, rageaholic nutjobs to make themselves feel better. I wish they would all just shoot each other.

[Anonymous]

Just an anecdote to support this....

I have a very good friend who is a doctor who works in a community health setting in Virginia, (think close in DC). This is the exact population she works with. She said there is rampant infection in her clients. Whole families are infected. On one day last week they did 80 Covid19 tests at her practice - 1/2 came back positive.

These people - and their families and others living in their households - are still going to job sites to work, riding the bus, going to the grocery store. They are absolutely out there spreading the virus. They cannot NOT go to work if the job site is open, they cannot social distance in their living situations, in many cases they have much less access to information, proper supplies, etc.

[Anonymous]

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

And food on the workers table.

Thank god something is still open.

Nope. Your business is not a person. Construction may be keeping your business afloat, but unless you are employing undocumented workers, you are keeping them from accessing unemployment benefits plus an extra PUA $600/week that are probably worth more than what you pay them. You are not gracing them with work and safety right now. You are using them.

Try this, business owners who believe they are heroically shielding their staff from ruin while making them work:
ASK your workers, with true intent, if they would like to be furloughed for extra safety for the next month. Offer to help them navigate unemployment. Warn them there might be a delay in getting the funds, but let them know about the extra $600/week available through July. Tell your customers you will be offering reduced or delayed services due to the pandemic and really, truly try to let as many of your employees as possible stay home and get safe.

[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.

I dont think you know any of these people. Yes everyone would rather be sheltering at home if they were guaranteed their income forever, but that's not realistic. If the alternative is 1/2 income for 6 months then nothing, I'm going to guess they'd rather work and be able to feed their children.

NP. I guarantee you that they would rather get sent home to be safe and help watch their kids safe at home while receiving unemployment and the $600 PUA on top of that each week, plus the extra SNAP benefits for food, plus the $1200. They should be able to do that for at least a couple of months until this thing gets truly reduced. They are being sacrificed for the economic benefit of others, not for them. Don’t pretend they are happy to have the work right now. JFC.

Unless you are personally sending your kids to mix it up with a bunch of other kids at one of the essential worker kid care sites each day, and working normal hours (or more) through this pandemic, and getting exposed constantly while probably living with many people, some who are at real risk of suffering from this virus, don’t cry crocodile tears over their kids’ food from your fluffy couch.

And I can guarantee you’re wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just an anecdote to support this....

I have a very good friend who is a doctor who works in a community health setting in Virginia, (think close in DC). This is the exact population she works with. She said there is rampant infection in her clients. Whole families are infected. On one day last week they did 80 Covid19 tests at her practice - 1/2 came back positive.

These people - and their families and others living in their households - are still going to job sites to work, riding the bus, going to the grocery store. They are absolutely out there spreading the virus. They cannot NOT go to work if the job site is open, they cannot social distance in their living situations, in many cases they have much less access to information, proper supplies, etc.

Arguably there are many folks in DC who believe that having Wegmans open on time is essential. And the mayor says that DC is in a housing crisis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just an anecdote to support this....

I have a very good friend who is a doctor who works in a community health setting in Virginia, (think close in DC). This is the exact population she works with. She said there is rampant infection in her clients. Whole families are infected. On one day last week they did 80 Covid19 tests at her practice - 1/2 came back positive.

These people - and their families and others living in their households - are still going to job sites to work, riding the bus, going to the grocery store. They are absolutely out there spreading the virus. They cannot NOT go to work if the job site is open, they cannot social distance in their living situations, in many cases they have much less access to information, proper supplies, etc.

Arguably there are many folks in DC who believe that having Wegmans open on time is essential. And the mayor says that DC is in a housing crisis.

Bowser demonstrates again and again that she’s the DC developers’ hoe. She’ll do any trick for their money.

[Anonymous]

Does DC Health inspect these construction sites occasionally to ensure that safe practices are being followed during this period. Construction companies make a valid argument that they are used to following OSHA and other safe practices, so these new ones are easy to implement, but is anybody from the city verifying that the sites are actually following guidelines.

Or how about driving a mobile testing unit around to 'critical/essential' construction sites and just knock out testing of the entire site population. Do some on site education for half an hour. Site still is open but employees get a half hour of training.

There are ways to do this, but the city is choosing not to.