Coronavirus in New York: 24/7 subway to shut down every night so trains can be disinfected

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Homeless seek refuge in NYC subways amid COVID-19 pandemic

Gov. Andrew Cuomo rails against New York City's subway trains crowded with homeless people who could be infected with coronavirus endangering commuters; Bryan Llenas reports from Queens, New York.

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New York City’s 24/7 subway system will now shut down every night so trains can be disinfected on a daily basis to protect essential workers from the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday.

Cuomo says the trains will stop running between the hours of 1 and 5 a.m. so Metropolitan Transit Authority workers can clean them out, car by car, starting Wednesday, May 6.

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The move comes after Cuomo criticized the current state of the city’s subway system, which has become overrun by its homeless population as ridership has plummeted.

“We have now a greater need than ever to disinfect the subways, the buses and the stations,” Cuomo said Thursday.

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Essential workers that need to travel during those overnight hours on public transit will instead be provided with buses and for-hire vehicles paid for by the MTA.

“Our obligation is to make sure we are doing everything we can do to keep them safe,” Cuomo said.

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The Metro North Railroad and Long Island Railroad – which commuters from Connecticut and other parts of New York state use to travel into New York City – will also have its train fleet cleaned on a daily basis with no service disruptions.

In addition to the subway changes, Cuomo reported Thursday that 306 more New Yorkers have died from the coronavirus, while overall hospitalizations continue to decline.