Housebuilders Barratt and Taylor Wimpey closed all their branches following the government 's directive on social distancing as a measure to reduce coronavirus infections during the pandemic .
Meanwhile , confusion about what constituted essential work , along with contractors ' enforcement of subcontractors ' contractual obligations , meant some projects remained operational , and many site workers experienced highly variable application of social distancing precautions ( some projects were temporarily halted after workers breached social distancing rules ) .