Cropped image of group of women in protective gloves using a flat wet-mop and machine while cleaning floor

The nationwide spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) has businesses and commercial properties everywhere scrambling to have their facilities cleaned, sanitized and disinifected. Some of these businesses and properties are seeking out new building service contractors to service them. Others are asking their existing contractors to do more. Either way, the requests are leading to a spike in labor for many building service contractors. Unfortunately, as the work ramps up, not all companies have been able to keep pace.

Next Level Building Solutions in Roanoke, Virginia is facing these exact problems, reports WDBJ7. Cassy McKenzie, who is with the company, tells the news station that the business has had to layoff staff some of its staff it had been using to clean commercial offices, churches and gyms — facilities that are routinely closing down. But at the same time the BSC is having trouble meeting the demand of medical facilities because these locations require workers with extra training to know how to clean to the demands.

Cleaning these facilities has also been made more difficult due to a lack of personal protective equipment that can be given to janitors. One of Level Building Solutions’ vendors was running so short on face masks that it could only supply six out of the 100 boxes the company ordered. As a result, workers are having to disinfect and then re-use the masks so they can stretch out the use of the short supply.

The supply of hand sanitizer has also grown virtually non-existent. In fact, things have gotten so bad that distilleries throughout the country are now using their alcohol supplies and expertise to make hand sanitizer that can be donated.