The COVID-19 pandemic has quickly and extensively impacted life as we know it in the United States and around the world. These unprecedented events have led to confusion and uncertainty across every industry with the total economic impact still unknown, other than it will likely be in the trillions of dollars and affect everyone from independent contractors to global CEOs due to closures and other work stoppages.
While every type of business and organization is affected during a public health crisis as devastating as COVID-19, not every business is affected in the same way. While there are many that must close due to social distancing and “shelter-in-place” orders, others must go the opposite way, staying open in order to provide essential services and products. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) ultimately issues guidance around which companies are considered essential critical infrastructure.
Which parts of the American workforce are considered essential critical infrastructure?
CISA recently offered the following guidelines to those at the state level who must now make difficult decisions around this definition:
“The advisory list identifies workers who conduct a range of operations and services that are typically essential to continued critical infrastructure viability, including staffing operations centers, maintaining and repairing critical infrastructure, operating call centers, working construction, and performing operational functions, among others. It also includes workers who support crucial supply chains and enable functions for critical infrastructure. The industries they support represent, but are not limited to, medical and healthcare, telecommunications, information technology systems, defense, food and agriculture, transportation and logistics, energy, water and wastewater, law enforcement, and public works.”
Is manufacturing considered an essential business by CISA?
Yes, CISA does consider most manufacturing to be an essential business during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is important to note that these are only guidelines, and are not considered an order or directive from the federal government. This means that states can, at their discretion, shut down companies or organizations that may fall within the CISA standards if they feel that it is in the public interest to do so.
Is EVS Metal up and running as usual during the COVID-19 pandemic?
EVS Metal operates metal fabrication facilities in four states — New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and New Hampshire — all of which produce medical devices, so the company is considered an essential business. This means that EVS is still running at full capacity. In fact, we are fortunate to serve customers who are not just producing critical products, but products that are ultimately life-saving, particularly during a public health crisis. This includes many items and parts that have a role in treating people infected with COVID-19, support research to find a cure and assist in the development and manufacture of potential vaccines. We are grateful for the opportunity to be involved in projects so impactful during these unprecedented events, and will continue to do everything we can to assist medical device companies who need vital products manufactured to keep our country as safe and healthy as possible.
About EVS Metal
EVS Metal is an American precision metal fabricator headquartered in Riverdale, NJ. We serve a diverse customer base across North America, providing a range of services from quick-turn prototypes to high-volume production runs. Our machinists and operators utilize the latest technology to cut, bend and finish stand-alone items as well as parts for integration or assembly into more complex products.
Our four ISO 9001:2015-certified locations in NJ, TX, PA and NH comprise over 250,000 square feet of vertically-integrated manufacturing space and feature the most modern equipment available, from lasers and CNC machining centers to automated powder coating lines. Online quotes are available via our website, or by calling 1-888-9EVS-MET.
