New York officials are not ruling out the possibility of shutting down mass transit in the city and state due to the coronavirus crisis, MTA Interim Chairwoman Sarah Feinberg told FOX 5 NY's “Good Day New York” on Monday.
"This is a dynamic situation," Feinberg said. "Moment by moment; hour by hour. We will follow the guidance we are given by medical experts."
In an effort to halt the spread of the virus in the city by sanitizing anything a commuter might touch, some 50,000 MTA employees are cleaning and disinfecting all 472 stations and more than 6,700 subway cars every 72 hours.
Feinberg said the procedure is "what's feasible at the moment,” as New York City has at least 16 confirmed coronavirus cases and at least 108 in the state.
As part of a contingency plan, officials are encouraging employers to stager hours of their workers in an attempt to lower the number of commuters on any subway at any given time.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria” that it is preferable to avoid massive close-downs or quarantines."
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio encouraged commuters that "If you are traveling by subway and the train that comes up is all packed and you can wait for the next train in the hope it's less packed, please do."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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