Sunday, 5 May 2024

MTA worker coronavirus death toll hits 123

The number of transit workers killed by the coronavirus stands at 123, the agency revealed Wednesday.

“We will never forget the dedication, service and sacrifice of these brave men and women,” MTA Chairman Pat Foye said after a moment of silence at the agency’s virtual board meeting.

Foye said 8,700 agency employees missed work because of the virus, most of whom have returned to work.

The MTA employs more than 70,000 people, though all but three of the employees killed by COVID-19 worked for its city bus and subway divisions, which employ closer to 50,000.

City board rep Bob Linn said officials must get to the bottom of why so many MTA employees died from the disease.

“Ultimately, the public will not be safe unless our workers are safe. It is critical to work on the health and safety of our workers that are sick and have tragically died at extraordinary rates,” Linn said, referencing a New York Times report that COVID-19 had killed six correctional officers out of a force of around 11,000.

MTA Chief Safety Officer Pat Warren rejected the suggestion that the MTA’s virus rates were exceptionally high.

“Our statistics are not much worse than Rikers Island, matter of fact they’re much better than Rikers Island,” Warren told Linn — although the MTA later refused to provide data to back him up.

“We are at par or better than almost ever industry that’s in New York City,” he said.

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