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| Inside the Newly Spotless Subway: ‘I’ve Never Seen It Like This’ | Inside the Newly Spotless Subway: ‘I’ve Never Seen It Like This’ |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| In Grand Central Terminal, the nexus of commuter rails and subway lines linking Midtown Manhattan to the far reaches of New York City and its suburbs, the usual blur of fast-paced commuters vanished. | In Grand Central Terminal, the nexus of commuter rails and subway lines linking Midtown Manhattan to the far reaches of New York City and its suburbs, the usual blur of fast-paced commuters vanished. |
| Subway cars lurched through a system eerily devoid of stray plastic bags, unidentifiable liquids and, notably, people. In stations, the loop of prerecorded announcements that seep into New York’s collective subconscious (“Stand clear of the closing doors, please”) offered a new message to riders: “Please, do your part to reduce crowding.” | Subway cars lurched through a system eerily devoid of stray plastic bags, unidentifiable liquids and, notably, people. In stations, the loop of prerecorded announcements that seep into New York’s collective subconscious (“Stand clear of the closing doors, please”) offered a new message to riders: “Please, do your part to reduce crowding.” |
| As the coronavirus pandemic ground New York to a halt, it crippled the subway, the city’s life blood, draining it of over 90 percent of its usual ridership. Now, as the city slowly starts to reopen, the subway’s ability to regain the confidence of riders will play a crucial role in New York’s recovery. | As the coronavirus pandemic ground New York to a halt, it crippled the subway, the city’s life blood, draining it of over 90 percent of its usual ridership. Now, as the city slowly starts to reopen, the subway’s ability to regain the confidence of riders will play a crucial role in New York’s recovery. |
| For now, transit officials are uncertain what the coming months and years will look like for mass transportation and whether all 5.5 million weekday riders will ever return. But in the interim, the whiplash has transformed the subway from an emblem of the city’s overcrowding to a vivid reminder of the lasting aftershock of the pandemic. | For now, transit officials are uncertain what the coming months and years will look like for mass transportation and whether all 5.5 million weekday riders will ever return. But in the interim, the whiplash has transformed the subway from an emblem of the city’s overcrowding to a vivid reminder of the lasting aftershock of the pandemic. |
| “All my life, I’ve never seen it like this,” Melody Johnson, a nurse who lives in Brooklyn, said while riding an uptown No. 2 train one recent morning. “Look around — we’re empty.” | “All my life, I’ve never seen it like this,” Melody Johnson, a nurse who lives in Brooklyn, said while riding an uptown No. 2 train one recent morning. “Look around — we’re empty.” |
| In the seemingly long-ago days before the pandemic, phalanxes of riders lined the platforms during rush hour, waiting to push and squeeze into every arriving train. Elbows pressed into strangers’ torsos, heads squeezed under armpits, and train cars — with the apparent magic of Mary Poppins’ bag — absorbed infinitely more passengers at every station. | In the seemingly long-ago days before the pandemic, phalanxes of riders lined the platforms during rush hour, waiting to push and squeeze into every arriving train. Elbows pressed into strangers’ torsos, heads squeezed under armpits, and train cars — with the apparent magic of Mary Poppins’ bag — absorbed infinitely more passengers at every station. |
| But today, only a smattering of riders are scattered across station platforms. Even during peak hours, people sometimes sit in train cars with less than a dozen other riders. In the weeks before the city reopened, only one or two riders on entire 10-car trains exited onto the platform at some stations at peak hours. | But today, only a smattering of riders are scattered across station platforms. Even during peak hours, people sometimes sit in train cars with less than a dozen other riders. In the weeks before the city reopened, only one or two riders on entire 10-car trains exited onto the platform at some stations at peak hours. |
| One recent morning at the Winthrop Street Station in Brooklyn, a nurse who lives in Volga, S.D. — population less than 2,000 — but who had come to New York to help with the coronavirus pandemic uttered words once inconceivable to native New Yorkers: “Taking the subway is the easiest part of my day,” the nurse, Judy Bergeland, said. | One recent morning at the Winthrop Street Station in Brooklyn, a nurse who lives in Volga, S.D. — population less than 2,000 — but who had come to New York to help with the coronavirus pandemic uttered words once inconceivable to native New Yorkers: “Taking the subway is the easiest part of my day,” the nurse, Judy Bergeland, said. |
| That same morning, the Times Square station in the heart of Manhattan was nearly empty at 9:30 a.m. It is the busiest station in the system, which typically bustles with commuters crisscrossing among 11 lines on any given weekday. The scenes depicted in colorful mosaics on the walls — a crowd watching a camera crew filming on the subway, construction workers digging outside the entrance of a station — appeared in their entirety, oddly unobstructed by passers-by. | That same morning, the Times Square station in the heart of Manhattan was nearly empty at 9:30 a.m. It is the busiest station in the system, which typically bustles with commuters crisscrossing among 11 lines on any given weekday. The scenes depicted in colorful mosaics on the walls — a crowd watching a camera crew filming on the subway, construction workers digging outside the entrance of a station — appeared in their entirety, oddly unobstructed by passers-by. |
| Even as the system felt spookily empty, across train cars and stations the age-old rituals of riding New York’s subway were still very much alive. | Even as the system felt spookily empty, across train cars and stations the age-old rituals of riding New York’s subway were still very much alive. |
| During rush hour at the Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center station in Brooklyn, people passing through the turnstiles still sprinted to the tracks when they heard the familiar words: “There is a Manhattan-bound 2 train approaching the station.” | During rush hour at the Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center station in Brooklyn, people passing through the turnstiles still sprinted to the tracks when they heard the familiar words: “There is a Manhattan-bound 2 train approaching the station.” |
| Another rider shouted into her dangling earphones — “I’m getting on the train. I’ll call you later!” — as she leapt onto a train, its metal doors starting to close. | Another rider shouted into her dangling earphones — “I’m getting on the train. I’ll call you later!” — as she leapt onto a train, its metal doors starting to close. |
| The static-filled sound of a conductor’s voice announcing a delay (“Ladies and gentlemen, we have train traffic ahead of us. We should be moving shortly.”) earned a collective — if quieter than usual — sigh. | The static-filled sound of a conductor’s voice announcing a delay (“Ladies and gentlemen, we have train traffic ahead of us. We should be moving shortly.”) earned a collective — if quieter than usual — sigh. |
| But inside the subway cars, the system’s new, daily disinfectant regimen combined with the dearth of riders has made the cars almost unrecognizable to New Yorkers all too familiar with trains that once felt like petri dishes for the city’s grime. | But inside the subway cars, the system’s new, daily disinfectant regimen combined with the dearth of riders has made the cars almost unrecognizable to New Yorkers all too familiar with trains that once felt like petri dishes for the city’s grime. |
| No trash or spilled drinks carpeted the floors. The metal walls were perfectly shined. Some train cars even smelled like lemons. | No trash or spilled drinks carpeted the floors. The metal walls were perfectly shined. Some train cars even smelled like lemons. |
| “It’s so, so, so much cleaner,” said Jacqueline Mckoy, a home health aide, as she waited at the Winthrop Station in Brooklyn for a train to take her to work in the Bronx. “I wish they were doing this years ago,” she added. | “It’s so, so, so much cleaner,” said Jacqueline Mckoy, a home health aide, as she waited at the Winthrop Station in Brooklyn for a train to take her to work in the Bronx. “I wish they were doing this years ago,” she added. |
| Nearby, Albert Maury, 49, stood at the edge of the platform waiting to travel to Manhattan where he works in a post office. Over the last two months, he has been amazed, and relieved, by how empty the subway has been. | Nearby, Albert Maury, 49, stood at the edge of the platform waiting to travel to Manhattan where he works in a post office. Over the last two months, he has been amazed, and relieved, by how empty the subway has been. |
| But now, as businesses begin to reopen, he worries that the brief respite from sardine-like subway cars and shoulder-to-shoulder platforms will come to an end, triggering increased anxiety about public health concerns. | But now, as businesses begin to reopen, he worries that the brief respite from sardine-like subway cars and shoulder-to-shoulder platforms will come to an end, triggering increased anxiety about public health concerns. |
| “I think it’s going to be more crowded. It’s going to get much, much worse,” Mr. Maury said. “I guess everyone’s just going to have to try their best to protect themselves when they’re on the train.” | “I think it’s going to be more crowded. It’s going to get much, much worse,” Mr. Maury said. “I guess everyone’s just going to have to try their best to protect themselves when they’re on the train.” |
| Across the system, ridership has slowly begun to pick up in recent weeks. After hitting a low of 7 percent of the usual passenger load in April, ridership levels have crept up to around 15 percent in recent weeks. On Monday, as the city reopened for Phase 1, around 113,000 more riders rode the subway compared to the same day the previous week, according to transit officials. | Across the system, ridership has slowly begun to pick up in recent weeks. After hitting a low of 7 percent of the usual passenger load in April, ridership levels have crept up to around 15 percent in recent weeks. On Monday, as the city reopened for Phase 1, around 113,000 more riders rode the subway compared to the same day the previous week, according to transit officials. |
| At the 149 Street-Grand Concourse station in the Bronx, a transit worker said in the week before the city officially reopened that she had already noticed more people filling platforms and trains. | At the 149 Street-Grand Concourse station in the Bronx, a transit worker said in the week before the city officially reopened that she had already noticed more people filling platforms and trains. |
| “I see some people not wearing masks. They take off the mask when they talk on the phone or ask me questions,” said the worker, who declined to give her name because she was not authorized to speak to the news media. “How are we going to enforce these new safety rules when people come back? There’s no way.” | “I see some people not wearing masks. They take off the mask when they talk on the phone or ask me questions,” said the worker, who declined to give her name because she was not authorized to speak to the news media. “How are we going to enforce these new safety rules when people come back? There’s no way.” |
| As the city reopens, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the subway, has outlined a number of safeguards to protect public health while ensuring commuters can still rely on the system: Subway service is being increased to reduce congestion, transit workers are patrolling stations to report overcrowding, additional police are deployed to enforce mask usage and floor markings have been added to encourage social distancing. | As the city reopens, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the subway, has outlined a number of safeguards to protect public health while ensuring commuters can still rely on the system: Subway service is being increased to reduce congestion, transit workers are patrolling stations to report overcrowding, additional police are deployed to enforce mask usage and floor markings have been added to encourage social distancing. |
| The subway will remain closed between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. to allow for deep cleanings. | The subway will remain closed between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. to allow for deep cleanings. |
| Still, many riders remain concerned about subway cars and platforms returning to their normally packed conditions while the coronavirus remains a threat. | Still, many riders remain concerned about subway cars and platforms returning to their normally packed conditions while the coronavirus remains a threat. |
| Updated June 12, 2020 | Updated June 12, 2020 |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| At the 125 Street Station in East Harlem, Rosa Diaz, 35, waited to board a No. 4 train to Lower Manhattan where she works as a paralegal. In April, she often shared subway cars with half a dozen or so people, she said. But in recent days some of her trains were crowded enough that nearly every seat was taken and one or two other riders were standing up. | At the 125 Street Station in East Harlem, Rosa Diaz, 35, waited to board a No. 4 train to Lower Manhattan where she works as a paralegal. In April, she often shared subway cars with half a dozen or so people, she said. But in recent days some of her trains were crowded enough that nearly every seat was taken and one or two other riders were standing up. |
| “People on the train are careless,’’ Ms. Diaz said. “People don’t actually care if they get too close to each other.’’ | “People on the train are careless,’’ Ms. Diaz said. “People don’t actually care if they get too close to each other.’’ |
| “Some aren’t even wearing P.P.E. at all,” she added, referring to personal protective equipment like masks. “I’ve seen dance crews on these trains still — with no masks!” | “Some aren’t even wearing P.P.E. at all,” she added, referring to personal protective equipment like masks. “I’ve seen dance crews on these trains still — with no masks!” |
| But for others, the thought of New York returning to a semblance of the way it used to be — even if that includes bustling train stations — is a welcome relief after months of unsettling uncertainty. | But for others, the thought of New York returning to a semblance of the way it used to be — even if that includes bustling train stations — is a welcome relief after months of unsettling uncertainty. |
| At Grand Central Terminal, David Herring, an M.T.A. customer service representative who has worked in the terminal for 20 years, has been encouraged by the slight uptick of people going in and out of commuter trains over the last two weeks. | At Grand Central Terminal, David Herring, an M.T.A. customer service representative who has worked in the terminal for 20 years, has been encouraged by the slight uptick of people going in and out of commuter trains over the last two weeks. |
| Sitting beneath the station’s iconic clock in the grand concourse, Mr. Herring looked out longingly as a few dozen people took photos of the majestic space with their phones while they waited to board trains. | Sitting beneath the station’s iconic clock in the grand concourse, Mr. Herring looked out longingly as a few dozen people took photos of the majestic space with their phones while they waited to board trains. |
| “Other than the days after 9/11, I’ve never seen it like this before,” Mr. Herring said. “But I like my job. I like answering people’s questions. I’m ready to get back to work.” | “Other than the days after 9/11, I’ve never seen it like this before,” Mr. Herring said. “But I like my job. I like answering people’s questions. I’m ready to get back to work.” |