The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) issued an update Thursday on the precautions the agency is taking in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). While there has not yet been a confirmed case in New York, the agency has taken measures to inform its employees–and the eight million people who ride its subways, commuter trains and buses daily. The MTA recommendations join a coordinated effort by New York City and state to remain ahead of an epidemic whose impact could depend on how well communities and authorities respond to it.
To make sure to reach the maximum number of people, MTA is providing information in English, Chinese, Spanish, Russian and Korean across the system on 3,600 subway screens, 2,000 bus screens and with information available at 84 subway entrances as well as across its railroad system. Employees will get extended hours so they can get free flu shots given at MTA Medical Assessment Centers (flu shots protect against existing flu viruses so the health system is less strained by caring for people sick with the flu).
Patrick Warren, MTA Chief Safety Officer, said in a statement “The MTA has protocols in place for any emergency scenario, from a public health crisis to an extreme weather event. We are regularly monitoring the circumstances surrounding the coronavirus with the utmost seriousness at the direction of federal and state health authorities.”
In the meantime, transit customers and employees should follow the below recommendations from the CDC:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- Individuals who are experiencing symptoms and may have traveled to areas of concern or have been in contact with somebody who has traveled to these areas should call ahead to their healthcare provider before presenting for treatment.
In addition to MTA precautions, The NY Times reports that New York State is gearing up for the possibility of a significant challenge in the form of a strain on the state’s health care infrastructure. State officials say they feel well-prepared, with a significant store of supplies in several locations around the state, including a including a warehouse near Albany, where there are stockpiles of surgical masks, N95 respirators and other protective gear. A stockpile of ventilators is ready to address extreme cases in which coronavirus causes high fever and respiratory problems.
In addition to reviewing emergency powers possessed by the governor and health officials, the state is looking into whether changes might be needed to address a unique threat. The state is also attempting to find a way to allow testing for the virus at a basement laboratory facility next door State Capitol and at locations in New York City to avoid the delays encountered with the current protocol in which tests are being sent to labs at federal Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Dr. Howard Zucker, the state health commissioner, announced a $40 million plan and a call for additional personnel to address the state’s first patients. New York City has 1,200 hospital beds that could be made ready for new cases without affecting patients already in the hospital.
According to the Times, the city and state have been “quietly preparing for a pandemic for years” and have already outlined a “rough sketch of what might happen in an outbreak of the coronavirus–technically known as Covid-19.” But the majority of the city’s more recent preparations have been focused on how to face a smaller-scale outbreak.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference Wednesday “We can really keep this thing contained,” and that if hospitals become filled to capacity, “We’ve got a long time to ramp up if we ever had anything like that.”
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