C train service was out of commission Monday morning after an operator on the line told the MTA they were positive for COVID-19, which led to all trains being taken out of service.
While the A train was adjusted to meet the local stop needs of commuters, the MTA said they had followed the procedure in order to protect other workers who may have come into contact although the agency has not confirmed the operator’s status.
The MTA plans to have C train service back on track by Monday afternoon.
“Last night, the MTA learned of an employee who reported as testing positive for COVID-19. Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety of our workforce, the MTA sent a number of workers home from the crew facility to consult with our in-house office of occupational health,” MTA’s Chief Communications Officer, Abbey Collins, said. “We continue to aggressively disinfect workplaces around the clock as per our protocol. As a result, C train service is suspended this morning and we are running local A service.”
Subway ridership is in dire condition as the coronavirus has led to an 83% drop in use and that only about 400,000 people are using the system to get around as social distancing measures have been increasingly tightened around businesses and social gatherings.
Recent years have seen unprecedented levels of congestion on the subways which has been known to transport up to $5 million per day.
“We expect service to be restored this afternoon. We are moving the healthcare workers, first responders and other essential employees on the frontlines of this crisis. We thank the 75,000 brave men and women who continue to do their jobs and show us the very best of New York.”
Despite the ridership drop, the MTA has continued to provide the same level of service in order to ensure that workers for essential services are able to make it to and from work, which along with the $300 million sanitization efforts across the board, has created a divot in their financial standing not easily resolved.
MTA Chair Pat Foye has asked the New York Congressional Delegation to fight for $4 billion to keep the agency rolling across the state, and $12 billion has been estimated to be needed for transit authorities across the country.
New York City now has logged over 12,305 cases with over 20,000 statewide, and the spread appears to continue with 5,000 new confirmed Monday morning, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo.
