The study, which was commissioned by the American Public Transportation Association, found that there is no direct correlation between public transit use and COVID-19 spread, either worldwide or in New York City. (You can speak with public health experts in your preferred language.) | NY Call 1-(888)-364-3065 | NYC Health Dept. As we gear up to celebrate the #LunarNewYear in NYC, I want to assure New Yorkers that there is no reason for anyone to change their holiday plans, avoid the subway, or certain parts of the city because of #coronavirus. Here are five times de Blasio and Barbot downplayed the virus after the president announced in January restrictions on foreign nationals who have recently been to China from entering the U.S. “There is no reason not to take the subway, not to take the bus, not to go out to your favorite restaurant, and certainly not to miss the parade next Sunday.” Barbot said during a Feb. 2 press conference addressing the pandemic. It bothered me, and I moved as far away from them as I could get," he said. As long as people wear masks, and trains and buses are well-ventilated, the authors of the study concluded public transit is relatively safe. Subway riders, wearing personal protective equipment due to COVID-19 concerns, step off a train, Tuesday, April 7, 2020, in New York. With more than 100 confirmed coronavirus cases across New York State, high-grade disinfectants are being splashed on everything from turnstiles and ticket machines to the subway… "Even in New York City the income disparity between car owners and non-car owners is over $45K a year in income. “And so we know that this virus can be transmitted from one individual to another, but that it’s typically people who live together,” she said during the interview. De Blasio is getting some pushback. ", The MTA, which has spent millions to thoroughly clean subway cars and reassure straphangers that using the subway is okay, said the report backed up their own findings. In addition, transit trips are "usually short in duration, and the vehicles often have high rates of ventilation, make frequents stops and, in some cases, have open windows. “No one is taking this more seriously than our mayor and the people of this city. ", Studies from across the world have shown that there is a definite correlation between outbreaks and bars, indoor restaurants, weddings, and houses of worship. In March, subway ridership was estimated to … The U.S. cities with the highest infection rates—like Gallup, New Mexico, which had 58.2 cases per 1,000—have little transit usage. Auth., 44 N.Y.2d 101, 404 N.Y.S.2d 323 (1978), and subsequently has been affirmed in federal courts in several cases involving state control boards in other New York cities. “Since I’m encouraging New Yorkers to go on with your lives + get out on the town despite Coronavirus,” de Blasio told his Twitter followers on March 3, no more than two weeks before likening the outbreak to a type of world war that required nationalizing industries. Join the millions of people who benefit from The Daily Signal’s fair, accurate, trustworthy reporting with direct access to: Don’t have time to read the Washington Post or New York Times? | NY Call 1-(888)-364-3065 | NYC Health Dept. ... Coronavirus hasn’t hit New York but it’s still hurting the local economy. Grand Central Terminal was mostly empty in the early afternoon hours on … The MTA is looking at different technologies to make its subways, trains and buses safer for riders. © 2020 New York Public Radio. The experience of taking the subway in New York City transformed during the pandemic. Donate now. If you’re one of the roughly 11,000 riders who have regularly traveled on the subway in th… For the first time in the MTA’s history, officials have halted regularly scheduled overnight service. Andrew Cuomo announced that the MTA is suspending trains between 1 and 5 a.m.for the foreseeable future in an effort to deep clean the system every 24 hours. ", Looking around the rest of the country and world, including Tokyo, Paris, and Hong Kong, he found example after example of places with a lack of correlation; they found that case rates are tied primarily to local community spread, rather than correlated to public transit ridership rates. Researchers found that in the city, there were about 150 million subway and bus rides between June 1st and August 18th, but the positive rate of infection "dropped 70 percent, from 3.3% down to 1.0%, and cases went from over 600 per day to around 250 over the same period.". Gothamist is a website about New York City news, arts and events, and food, brought to you by New York Public Radio. Gothamist is supported by the American Express Foundation. Ever feel like the only difference between the New York Times and Washington Post is the name? New Yorkers know the subway can be nasty, but COVID-19 has made riding the rails feel even dicier than usual. Here’s the first: thru Thurs 3/5 go see ‘The Traitor,’” de Blasio said, referring to a 2019 crime drama about the life and times of a Mafia mob boss. De Blasio added: “We have a lot of information now, information that is actually showing us things that should give us more reason to stay calm and go about our lives” normally. The numbers suggest that many New Yorkers still don't feel comfortable returning to mass transit just yet—but according to a new study, the risks of taking the subway right now may have more to do with perception than reality. The mayor’s office is pushing back against suggestions that de Blasio downplayed the problem. "In fact, New York has served as a national model with transit ridership increasing as the infection rate declined. There is NO excuse for anyone to discriminate or stigmatize people of Asian heritage. In New York City, for instance, subway ridership is … “That there’s no risk at this point in time—we’re always learning more—about having it be transmitted in casual contact, right?”, NYC “Health Commissioner” Oxiris Barbot on Feb. 7th: “We’re telling New Yorkers, go about your lives, take the subway, go out, enjoy life” pic.twitter.com/28mhwdBCK4. NYC subway 'is SAFE': Transit researchers say coronavirus is unlikely to spread on trains and buses because 'people take short rides, wear masks and don't talk' Two days ago, MIT economist Jeffrey Harris wrote a paper claiming that the subways seeded the COVID-19 epidemic in New York, but the paper has been widely criticized.The Tri-State Transportation Campaign, for example, slammed it because it was “not peer-reviewed, lack proper modeling, and … does not support any causation. Do you know the scoop? Grand Central Terminal. On the one hand, data reveals that people are staying away from mass transit in huge numbers compared to before the novel coronavirus. CORONAVIRUS: NY Health Dept. Is the New York City subway system responsible for seeding the nation's worst COVID-19 outbreak? More than 40 subway and bus employees have died of COVID-19. By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms. As of June 12, 65 TTC employees out of a staff of … De Blasio and New York City Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot took turns telling citizens in February and March that the virus was not as widespread as people thought. For licensing opportunities for this original content, email [email protected]. The MTA will continue to take every possible action to protect our customers and employees and combat the spread of COVID-19.". "But I am not hesitant to take the subway.". Here's how we test for pathogens in public … Sign up for our newsletter! NY hits highest COVID-19 positive-test rate since May, Cuomo says The MTA’s chairman on Monday insisted mass transit is safe to ride amid the coronavirus outbreak — … / “This report adds to the growing body of evidence that mass transit is safe with the proper public health safeguards in place," said Abbey Collins, spokesperson for the MTA. ", According to Schwartz's research, truck traffic in NYC is already back at 100% of pre-pandemic levels, with car traffic back around 90% -- another reason he encourages people to return to mass transit rather than rely on cars. FILE PHOTO: A conductor looks out of an MTA subway car at a stop, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, U.S., May 14, 2020. “The facts are reassuring,” the New York mayor said during a March 2 press conference alongside New York Gov. I've done some surveys that show we're in the 90% range of mask-wearing, which is very good, but we have to get 100%. So immediately we blamed transit, and then discriminated against people.". Try the Morning Bell and get the day’s most important news and commentary from a team committed to the truth in formats that respect your time…and your intelligence. Homeless residents in New York City continued to ride the subway during the coronavirus outbreak despite social distancing orders - as terminal employees fear the … In many cases, virus spread went down even as riders gradually began returning to the transit system. It’s inaccurate to suggest otherwise,” Freddi Goldstein, a spokesman in de Blasio’s office, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. Related topics: traffic new york city coronavirus new york city public transportation reopen nyc coronavirus coronavirus pandemic mass transit reopen ny covid 19 pandemic mta lirr bus subway … We are here today to urge all New Yorkers to continue to live their lives as usual,” she said. “I thought I would offer some suggestions. Conclusive evidence linking COVID-19 transmission to transit use appears to be rare in Canada. Sally Librera was planning to leave her job as head of subways at New York City Transit, June 29, 2020. Cuomo ordered the subway to close from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. each night to remove homeless riders and clean trains during the COVID … The New York City subway system, with 468 stations in operation, is the most extensive public transportation system in the world. | NYC Call 311, Text COVID to 692692 | NJ COVID-19 Info Hub | NJ Call 1 … He offered some suggestions for what New Yorkers should do instead of social distancing. CNN’s Jake Tapper, for instance, asked the Democrat on Sunday if his unwillingness to publicly request New Yorkers pull back from New York’s nightlife is partly to “blame for how rapidly the virus has spread across the city?”. 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Comment below or Send us a Tip. And they were getting sick at a higher rate, whether they traveled by transit or by car. Barbot Suggests the Risks Are Minimal. "When I took the 1 train today, there were two younger people not wearing masks. March 30, 2020 The unprecedented disruption began on May 6, with free, alternative transit made available for essential workers traveling in the early morning hours. Share your email address to get our top stories each day. arrow Filed under Coronavirus, Coronavirus in NY, health and fitness, mta, subway, 3/16/20. (Photo: William Farrington-Pool/Getty Images). Even as trains and stations have emptied, NYPD figures show that transit system crime dropped in March by 3% — or five fewer complaints — compared to the same four-week period in 2019. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended on March 15 that U.S. citizens inside the country not hold events with 50 or more people for the next eight weeks out of an abundance of caution. Schwartz agrees that mask compliance and other safety measures are still paramount in the subways. It seems to be plausible, it fits in with people's thinking," he told Gothamist. “Here’s reality: This is a war-like situation,” de Blasio said in a March 14 interview with MSNBC’s Joy Reid. / Since that began on September 14th, the MTA says that MTA officers have asked 2,342 customers to make adjustments to the masks they already were wearing so that they were covering both nose and mouth, distributed 2,646 masks to those who didn’t have them, and issued six summonses. CDC suggested avoiding any large conferences, festivals, or parades. So what's different about mass transit? This study posits that one major factor may be that people generally don't talk on mass transit, while there is a lot of that (and singing) in those other scenarios. Even as riders trickle back, their commutes may have a distinctly different feel. Commuters wearing protective masks exit from a subway car at the 42nd street station in New York City on Tuesday, June 9, 2020. City officials were working with the information they had at the time, de Blasio responded, adding: “This was a very different world just a short time ago.” The New York mayor has spent weeks railing against what he believes is the president’s poor response to the virus. Barbot was referring to a New York Chinatown parade, which celebrates China’s New Year and took place on Feb. 9. "It also is very discriminatory, and I believe it was stated by many people who don't ride the subway system, who don't ride public transit. In the U.S., Team Subway has donated thousands of sandwiches and meals to healthcare workers, first responders, and impacted families and children. "Well, lower income workers can't drive alone, they don't have cars," said Schwartz. It is also one of the world's oldest public transit systems, with the first underground line of the subway opening on October 27, 1904. The study notes, "it appears that what you do at the end of a trip affects the probability of contracting the virus far more than the mode of travel. Share this article: The Daily Signal depends on the support of readers like you. “We’re in a wartime scenario with a Mar-a-Lago attitude being used by the federal government,” he added, referencing Trump’s resort in Florida. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his top health official were telling citizens to take the subway and attend parades months after President Donald Trump restricted travel to coronavirus-plagued China. Over the spring, New York City experienced what remains, for now, the worst coronavirus outbreak in the U.S.: more than 226,000 people have tested positive in … Bill de Blasio rides the subway on March 3, 2020 at Fulton St. station to High St. to show New Yorker's that he's not afraid to take public transportation amid fears of Coronavirus. | NYC Call 311, Text COVID to 692692 | NJ COVID-19 Info Hub | NJ Call 1 … Barbot argued in a local TV interview on Feb. 7 that the city is “telling New Yorkers, go about your lives, take the subway, go out, enjoy life.” She did say that citizens must practice good hygiene, but suggested the biggest threat comes from family members and not large packs of people. The answer has … The original bill called for only five control board members, including the four ex officio elected officials and one appointee of the governor. “If you’re under 50 & you’re healthy, which is most NYers, there’s very little threat here. Earlier this month, the MTA announced that subway and bus riders who refuse to wear a mask while taking public transit will now be subject to a $50 fine, as part of a crackdown aimed at achieving "universal mask compliance." "I'm in my 70s, I do have asthma, I wear a second mask over my first mask, so I'm being extra cautious," he said. By Amy Plit t Or are the Big Apple's motorists to blame? “We want to encourage” New Yorkers going out, the mayor said during a Feb. 10 MSNBC broadcast. So it's a narrative that fits a group of people that are short-sighted, that just saw an outbreak occur in New York City and came to a false conclusion that scientists have now shown is not the case. Chris White Andrew Cuomo’s last briefing on Sunday more than 100 people had tested positive for the new coronavirus, 16 … New York MTA is battling COVID-19 with UV lights and infrared sensors. Subway Franchises across New Zealand donated more than 17 tons of fresh produce to various local food charities serving the country’s most vulnerable people. Data now show that the city is becoming the epicenter for the coronavirus, which has killed 883 New Yorkers. "There's always going to be a stumbling block unless we can get close to 100% compliance. Leave a comment, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks during a video press conference on the city's response to the coronavirus outbreak held at City Hall March 19, 2020, in New York City. New York City Trans. He compared it to a statistics professor testing first year students by showing correlation between eating ice cream and drowning; they both may peak during summertime, but that doesn't mean eating ice cream leads to drowning. A New York subway car, by contrast, pushes air horizontally, and uses filters with a lower performance than planes, rated seven out of a scale of 20 in terms of screening efficiency. Barbot argued in a local TV interview on Feb. 7 that the city … Instead, the myth around subway usage and the spread of the virus has become what he calls a factoid, "something that is untrue but gets repeated time and time again. This disease, even if you were to get it, basically acts like a common cold or flu. Back in May, the New York Stock Exchange partially reopened but said no one who rides mass transit could come to the trading floor (they later rescinded that). All rights reserved. "The people we relied on to save us, to feed us, to take care of our every need ride transit. Then get The Morning Bell, an early morning edition of the day’s most important political news, conservative commentary and original reporting from a team committed to following the truth no matter where it leads. ", Schwartz argues that another reason for the assumption about spread in NYC in particular has to do with essential workers and their reliance on public transit: "Our essential workers travel by transit overwhelmingly," he said. As the number of cases of COVID-19 climbs in New York state—as of Gov. “I want to be clear, this is about a virus, not a group of people. We do. Subway and other mass transit use is dramatically down since New York first hit PAUSE to slow the spread of COVID-19. In April, Gov. And transmission is not that easy,” de Blasio said at the time. In March, subway ridership was estimated to be down around 90% from normal levels, and in September, it was hovering around 60-70% lower than pre-pandemic times. pic.twitter.com/r4gNWklGPX. Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit, NYC COVID-19 Cases & MTA Subway/Bus Ridership. A Veteran Activist’s 10 Principles for Healing America’s Hurting Communities, 4 Takeaways From the Michigan Senate’s Election Fraud Hearing, How the Left Is Attacking Pro-Life Convictions and Why Conservative Women Must Stand Strong, Can We Restore America? The CDC recommended at various points during the crisis that employers should pay workers to drive alone. We’re keeping this page up to date with systemwide ridership and traffic estimates for subways, buses, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, Access-A-Ride, and Bridges and Tunnels.You can see changes over the past seven days, as well as get a sense of how ridership and traffic differs this year versus last year. The New York City Subway May Work Differently After COVID-19 There's talk of ongoing intensive cleaning, mask requirements, and staggered working hours. De Blasio followed suit three days after Barbot’s Feb. 7 comments. Chris White is a reporter for The Daily Caller News Foundation. Andrew Cuomo. "In the very beginning, people were blaming transit with absolutely no backup, with just looking at New York City becoming the epicenter of the outbreak back in March and April," said Sam Schwartz, better known as "Gridlock Sam," the former NYC Traffic Commissioner whose transit-consulting firm made the report. The Daily Signal depends on the support of readers like you. MTA Mask Force volunteers on the 1 line in Manhattan in September, 2020. Updated November 24, 2020. CDC information about COVID-19 New York City Department of Health information Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. CORONAVIRUS: NY Health Dept. So yes, the city, the police, the MTA and others need to get that message across. @ZanderKelly30 / New York Department of Health's coronavirus hotline: 888-364-3065. Barbot appeared to suggest Trump’s travel restrictions were racist in a Feb. 2 tweet to her followers. 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