What Sectors Are Deemed “Critical” In Your State Or Province?

On August 18, the Trump administration released Version 4.0 of the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers (ECIW) Guidance.

Earlier versions helped officials and organizations identify essential work functions and provided workplace access guidance during periods with community stay at home or quarantine restrictions.

Version 4.0 identifies essential workers who require specialized risk management strategies to ensure that they can work safely. Previous versions of the ECIW guidance did not include essential workers in critical infrastructure work settings, such as schools, because they were presumed to be closed at the time of publication.

In recognition of the ongoing national reopening conversation, this version includes these workers and other adjustments. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Version 4.0 can also be used to begin planning and preparing for the allocation of scarce resources used to protect essential workers against COVID-19.

As a reminder, this announcement presents mere guidance for states – each state still has the final word on which sectors and which businesses can operate during the pandemic. There are several resources available that can help MSCI members and other employers stay on top of what is required of businesses in each state. These include:

• A state-by-state map of reopening measures offered by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCC);
• The National Association of Manufacturers’ COVID-19 state resources page;
• A list of executive orders compiled by the Council of State Governments;
• Stateside Associates publishes a daily report about state and local government responses to the evolving situation; and
• Multistate Associates has a spreadsheet that includes state and local COVID-19 response information.

In Canada, Faeger Drinker LLP is tracking orders in the countries various provinces. Click here for that information.