NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – The city is ramping up its vaccine distribution, including by opening 24-hour "mega" sites, but those locations could be harder to get to without 24-hour subway service, transit advocates say.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has pushed for 24-hour vaccine distribution, a full-court press to get doses out as fast as possible, with the goal of 1 million doses administered in January alone.
But the city subway system is still closed between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. for COVID-related cleaning, which could be an obstacle for people looking to get vaccinated overnight.
Although it’s not his call, de Blasio said the cleaning regimen has been a "real success," and he wants to keep it going for the time being.
“We’ve got to keep our subways a place that people are comfortable being as part of our recovery,” the mayor said.
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Danny Pearlstein, of the Riders Alliance, insists the cleaning isn't needed anymore. He called it outrageous that Gov. Andrew Cuomo is keeping the subway closed overnight while also complaining that vaccine distribution has gone too slowly.
“Failing to re-open the subways is an obstacle in the way of beating back COVID,” Pearlstein said. “We need to be able to access our city the way New Yorkers know best, and that’s by the subway—24/7.”
Pearlstein said the overnight cleaning is mostly “hygiene theater,” as experts have said early concerns about surface transmission of the virus were likely overblown.
“The irony is the governor said he would reopen the subway when the pandemic ends, and now keeping the subway closed is preventing the city and state from ending this deadly pandemic,” Pearlstein said.
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