A joint venture between Cianbro and VJS was formed over a year ago with the responsibility to oversee the construction of a replacement facility for the Maine Veterans’ Homes – Augusta. The joint venture, continues to operate under safety precautions suggested by the Maine CDC including: daily medical surveys, temperature checks, required personal and environmental hygiene practices and proper PPE components.

Although these protocols have been in place and are being monitored daily, a project worker tested positive on May 1. We took additional measures including engaging the Maine CDC, contact tracing and quarantining of those individuals that came into close contact with the worker, as well as increased sanitization around the project site. Since that time, additional individuals have tested positive and we have voluntary began testing all workers that were on the site from April 27 to May 10. While it is important to note we do not know the sources of the exposure, we have taken this additional step and are requiring anyone reentering the site to have first obtained a negative test result for the virus.  

Deemed an essential industry by the government, construction, and respective projects around the State, continue to be built during this pandemic. The Maine Veterans’ Homes campus project is no exception. The health and wellbeing of our employees and trade partners is our highest priority. The project continues to operate with precautions in place. Current work has shifted to our paving contractor, who has not been exposed to the site, to mobilize their crews and begin their process.

Those areas inside, where there may have been exposure, have been, and will continue to be, disinfected. The feedback from the CDC states that they have no further recommendations and that the project is doing a good job minimizing the risk of further spread.

Update 5.26.20

Last week the Maine CDC announced 78 new positive cases of COVID19.

Although the Maine Veteran’s Home project in Augusta has received a lot of attention recently due to the virus, the spike in cases announced last week appear to be in Cumberland and Androscoggin Counties.

At the Maine Veteran’s Home project, there have been twenty-six confirmed cases at this location. Although there have been no hospitalization our thoughts and prayers do go out to those companies, their employees and their families affected by this virus.

It is important to note, although the project never shutdown completely, we did choose to take pre-cautionary measures including testing a substantial group of team members for Covid-19.  Those team members identified in the testing pool are required to either provide a negative test result, or meet a 14-day isolation period while remaining symptom free in order to return to the project following the long holiday weekend.

A significant lesson learned for all of us, the majority of those individuals that tested positive, reported to be asymptomatic. Meaning, they did not show the common signs of the virus. It is critical that we understand this and continue to follow all the health and safety protocol in place both at home and at work to ensure the safety of all.

As we all return from the long weekend, we cannot stress enough, the importance of maintaining social distance, practicing excellent personal and environmental hygiene.

For additional information, email:  info@cianbro.com and/or info@vjscs.com