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MTA Says New Employees Hired On Or After November 14th Must Be Fully Vaccinated For COVID
By
Sophia Chang
Published Oct 2, 2021
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John Minchillo/AP/Shutterstock
By
Sophia Chang
Published Oct 2, 2021
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The MTA will require new employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 starting in mid-November. The agency will also require current unvaccinated employees to be tested weekly starting Monday, with its vaccination rate hovering around 70%.
"The MTA is an industry leader in protecting the health and safety of transit workers,” said acting MTA chair and chief executive officer Janno Lieber in a statement. “The science is clear. Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself, colleagues, relatives and neighbors from COVID-19.”
The vaccination requirement applies to paid interns, seasonal, temporary, and contingent workers hired on or after November 14th -- but not current employees. A spokesperson for the MTA said Saturday that about 70% of its employees are vaccinated, which is below the 74.9% fully vaccinated rate for all adults in New York City.
For unvaccinated staff, the MTA is running 138 on-site testing locations while still encouraging its employees to get vaccinated. Unvaccinated workers can get tested during their work shifts if they go to an on-site testing site, according to the MTA. If they choose to get tested at a non-MTA site, they need to go on their own time.
“We have a responsibility not only to our employees, but to the communities we serve,” said MTA chief People Officer Paul Fama in the statement. “In order to protect employees and continue to provide safe and reliable transportation, it is crucial that the MTA continues to drive up the vaccination rate.”
With the return of in-person school and many offices - including city agencies - reopening, the subway system is seeing increased ridership though it remains below pre-pandemic levels. On September 30th there were 3,150,190 trips on the subways, a 47.7% decrease from a pre-pandemic equivalent day.
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vaccine mandate
COVID-19
coronavirus
MTA
Sophia Chang
Sophia Chang is a former WNYC and Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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