NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A Federal Aviation Administration technician who is assigned to the air traffic control tower at JFK Airport tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting the FAA to temporarily close the tower for cleaning Friday.
The FAA said in a statement that the technician tested positive Thursday.
He had not been at the facility since Monday, the FAA said, adding that he did not enter the air traffic control tower cab where air traffic controllers work. He was also in the facility on March 11.
"Even though the technician did not enter the tower cab, as a precaution we scheduled a thorough cleaning of the tower cab, equipment room, administrative offices and elevators to ensure a safe work environment for all of our employees," the FAA said.
A professional cleaning company will clean the facility Friday morning.
In the meantime, air traffic controllers will operate from an alternate location on airport property as part of the FAA's longstanding contingency plan to ensure continued operations, the FAA said.
Delays at the airport were not significant Friday morning, with average arrival/departure delays averaging 15 minutes or less as of 10 a.m.
The number of coronavirus cases in New York City reached 4,000 on Friday, with 26 deaths reported, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
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