Despite social distancing and sanitizing mandates, health officials have identified cases of COVID-19 among construction workers at a dozen projects in Santa Clara County.
At least 10 construction workers at a Mountain View development site have tested positive with as many as 30 total workers exposed, the Santa Clara County Health Department said Friday. The project site has been voluntarily shut down, the department said.
Workers at two other projects in San Jose and one in Milpitas have also tested positive for the virus. Between three and five workers have tested positive at each of those sites, which have also been shuttered by developers. Another nine projects have reported at least one confirmed case, health officials said.
“These cases emphasize the fact that we are still in the midst of a pandemic,” County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said. “With additional sectors reopening, it is vital that everyone carefully follow social distancing protocols to ensure that workers are safe. This includes keeping physical distance and wearing a face covering.”
The construction industry has lobbied to keep sites open, arguing developers could enforce health restrictions at projects with temperature tests, washing stations and limited crews respecting social distancing guidelines.
State guidelines call for each site to have a supervisor in charge of enforcing health and safety rules. Many developers say they’ve purchased additional protective equipment for crews and taken measures to have workers regularly sanitize tools and worksites.
At least one city, Menlo Park, formed an inspection unit to regularly tour construction sites.
This story will be updated.
