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Some NYC Council Members Want a Temporary Shutdown of Subways for Deep Cleaning

MTA
Scott Pringle

A group of New York City lawmakers is calling for the subway and bus system to be shut down temporarily because of coronavirus.

Robert Holden is one of four council members who signed off on a letter to Governor Cuomo asking for the transit system be shut down for at least a week for a deep cleaning.

He points to stats showing about 25-hundred MTA employees have tested positive for coronavirus.

"That's about three times the spread of uh our most infected areas of the city. So there is something going on there. and they don't have the right protection as we know it when they are cleaning the subways."

Holden suggests the state contract with Uber, Lyft and yellow cabs to shuttle essential employees around during a shutdown.

The MTA calls this a terrible idea and says crews disinfect the system everyday and get masks and gloves with many of them getting new protective equipment everyday.