Carried on regardless is a bit of a throw away comment, as if we (I'm a construction project manager) thought **** it, this **** doesn't apply to us.
We fell into that grey area of not being deemed essential but also not being deemed an industry that had to stop, like retail, hospitality leisure etc. Construction is not alone in that but still, no one gave a **** really so we carried on. No clapping or anything, not deemed heroes.
That said, also not forced into it. If we couldn't find ways to work safely, we didn't do it. This woman slating the Construction Council is barking up the wrong tree, there were daily updates from them with help and guidance to make it work. It was always the case of how each business/person follows this guidance.
Which applies to everyone across the board in all this by the way, always has.
I've got two projects on the go, probs a combined total of a 100 men at any given time combined. Not one single case of Covid. A couple of false alarms, but not actual cases as it turned out. We just made sure there was regimented cleaning and hand washes and sanitisers and did this religiously.
Try getting knuckle head concrete gangs to stay 2m from one another by the way! Not easy.
As for PPE (masks), a lot of tasks in construction absolutely have to wear them. They weren't over purchased though because the NHS needed them, making it difficult to give them out daily.