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Renovations on the Mercedes-Benz Superdome began immediately after the LSU Tigers won their Jan. 13 national title game, taking the first steps to ensure the New Orleans Saints will continue to play in a cutting-edge venue rivaling any stadium around the NFL.
Back in May, WDSU-New Orleans reported that construction on the Superdome (most of which is happening behind the scenes, where fans won’t see it, in this first phase) had not been impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic. However, a recent statement from Superdome officials to WDSU confirmed that nearly three dozen workers received positive tests.
The statement to WDSU reads: “We can confirm that in the last few weeks, 32 of the 275-plus daily workers on the project have tested positive for COVID-19. This post-Memorial Day increase is consistent with what 21 other states, not including Louisiana, are experiencing at this stage of the pandemic as more restrictions have been lifted for travel, shopping, and work.”
Those staffers are employees of Broadmoor, LLC, a contractor that is spearheading the Superdome project. According to the statement, affected workers were sent home to self-isolate and must clear testing before they can return. In the meantime, their coworkers received personal protective equipment to wear on the job in an attempt at limiting further infections.
Broadmoor and Superdome management are also working together to enhance health and safety procedures, detailed as, “access to handwashing stations, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and that all workspaces are cleaned and sanitized daily. In addition, medical technicians administer temperature screenings for all workers who enter the Superdome each day, and Broadmoor has instituted social distancing measures, including staggered starts and breaks.”
It remains to be seen whether this will affect the project’s construction goals, which are staggered to account for the expected start of the NFL season. These extensive renovations to the Superdome were drawn up in a yearslong plan to work around Saints games and other big events, but organizers may have to adjust on the fly if the pandemic continues to trip them up.
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