NEW YORK – COVID-related staffing shortages have prompted suspensions on several subway lines in New York City, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) said.
“Like everyone in New York, we’ve been affected by the COVID surge. We’re running as much train service as we can with the operators we have available,” the MTA said on Twitter.
B, Z, and W subway lines are currently suspended.
Alternatives for the B train:
- Use Q trains in Brooklyn and D trains in Manhattan and the Bronx
Alternatives for the Z train:
- Use J trains
Alternatives for the W train:
- Use N trains in Queens or an R train in Manhattan
In addition to the suspensions, several lines are also making local stops to provide additional service for customers.
No. 5 and D trains are making local stops in the Bronx to provide more local service while J trains are making local stops in Brooklyn and Queens to provide more service, the MTA said.
People should check the MTA app or website for more information on subway delays and suspensions.
As the omicron variant moves quickly across the tri-state area, thousands of the city’s workforce have been impacted.
Roughly 6,600 NYPD employees called out sick on Tuesday — about 20% of the department’s workforce. Of those, 3,000 were officers with flu-like symptoms and about 1,500 were positive for COVID.
To provide adequate police coverage for the New Year’s Eve Celebration in Times Square, the NYPD sent out a memo telling all uniformed officers who are regularly off on Friday and Saturday that they must report to their respective commands for assignment.
The FDNY has also been hit with COVID-related shortages with 30% of EMS workers and 17% of firefighters on medical leave as of Wednesday.
The city has seen skyrocketing cases of COVID-19. As of Wednesday, NYC reported 21,846 new cases.
