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[NY] Officials not ruling out shutting down mass transit in wake of coronavirus
Published 16 hours ago/Updated 7 hours ago

NEW YORK - Despite the spread of coronavirus, state and local officials are not shutting down mass transit in the city and state, at least not yet. An estimated 4.3 million people ride the New York City subway system a day.

MTA Interim Chairperson Sarah Feinberg told FOX 5 NY morning program 'Good Day New York' and echoed statements from NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio a day earlier that they are not ruling out the possibility.

"This is a dynamic situation," Feinberg said. "Moment by moment; hour by hour. We will follow the guidance we are given by medical experts."

More than 51,000 MTA employees are working to help prevent the spread of the virus in the city by cleaning and disinfecting 'touchpoints' and disinfecting subway cars every 72 hours. Workers are using bleach to scrub down all 472 stations, 6,714 subway cars, and 5,700 buses. The goal is to sanitize anything any commuter might touch.

From cleaning and disinfecting touchpoints to disinfecting subway car every 72 hours, interim MTA Chairperson Sarah Feinberg says lots of effort is being made to prevent the spread of coronavirus on mass transit. She also said if the urgency warrants, mass transit could be shut down in NYC.

"It's what's feasible at the moment. We are following the guidance we are given from medical experts," Feinberg said.

Part of the contingency plan involves imploring employers to stager work hours of employees to reduce the number of commuters and straphangers on any train or subway at any given time . . . .

https://www.fox5ny.com/news/official...of-coronavirus

NYC Asks Commuters to Stay Off Public Transit ‘If You Can’ to Combat Virus Spread
Published March 8, 2020 • Updated on March 9, 2020 at 1:00 pm

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio asked sick people to stay off public transit, especially subways and buses.

Their warnings included a suggestion to avoid dense crowds on buses, subways and trains, or take alternate travel if possible.

"If you take the subway and you are able to wait for a less packed train, please do. If you have the option of walking or biking, please do. Buses can be crowded too, but less than subways, so please use these if you can," de Blasio said.

"Move to a train car that is not as dense. If you see a packed train car, let it go by. Wait for the next train. Same if you’re taking a bus," Cuomo said . . . .

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/loca...pread/2317584/