BOMA’s advocacy team has been working with our partners at other BOMA locals and business organizations and within labor to ask for clarification on the classification of essential works during the COVID-19 outbreak. As a result, Governor Newsom updated the list of essential services and we believe this now clears-up the ambiguity and covers all the essential workers from our CRE sector.
 
If you have essential services still operating in your facilities, if your building cannot simply shut down and be abandoned, or if you are working on your facilities, we believe this will cover our industries essential activities.
 
Please make sure you follow industry standards and state/federal/local guidelines for assuring your tenants are safe, your facilities are deep cleaned, and your workers and subcontractors are maintaining precautions to stop the spread of Coronavirus.

Provide handwashing stations and sanitizer where permanent bathroom facilities are not available (or augment them), maintain a safe social distance, avoid groups, and take other measures appropriate for your situation.

Here are the mainline items impacting our members from California’s updated “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers”

• Workers to ensure continuity of building functions
• Security staff to maintain building access control and physical security measures
• Support required for continuity of services, including janitorial/cleaning personnel
• Construction workers who support the construction, operation, inspection, and maintenance of construction sites and construction projects (including housing construction)
• Workers such as plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of construction sites and construction projects (including those that support such projects to ensure the availability of needed facilities, transportation, energy and communications; and support to ensure the effective removal, storage, and disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste)
• Commercial Retail Stores, that supply essential sectors, including convenience stores, pet supply stores, auto supplies and repair, hardware and home improvement, and home appliance retailers stores, auto supplies and repair, hardware and home improvement, and home appliance retailers
• Workers supporting groceries, pharmacies, and other retail that sells food and beverage products, including but not limited to Grocery stores, Corner stores and convenience stores, including liquor stores that sell food, Farmers’ markets, Food banks, Farm and produce stands, Supermarkets, Similar food retail establishments, Big box stores that sell groceries and essentials
• Restaurant carry-out and quick-serve food operations – including food preparation, carry-out and delivery food employees
• Employees and firms supporting food, feed, and beverage distribution (including curbside distribution and deliveries), including warehouse workers, vendor-managed inventory controllers, blockchain managers, distribution
• Maintenance of communications infrastructure- including privately owned and maintained communication systems- supported by technicians, operators, call-centers, wireline and wireless providers, cable service providers, satellite operations, undersea cable landing stations, Internet Exchange Points, and manufacturers and distributors of communications equipment
• Manufacturers, technicians, logistics and warehouse operators, and distributors of medical equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical gases, pharmaceuticals, blood and blood products, vaccines, testing materials, laboratory supplies, cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting or sterilization supplies, and tissue and paper towel products
• Private security, private fire departments, and private emergency medical services personnel
• Workers such as plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences

Our industry thanks Governor Newsom for clarifying this list and working to stop the spread of the virus while thoughtfully assuring our state is positioned to hasten recovery as soon as the threat is abated. If you have any questions, or have intel or reports about relevant local, state, or federal policy, please reach out to the BOMA San Diego office and we will pass the message along.