Coronavirus Update New York City: MTA adjusting hours of overnight subway shutdown

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- The overnight subway shutdown will be shortened starting next Monday, as the economy starts to reopen and restaurants are now permitted to stay open for dining until 11 p.m.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement during a press briefing on Monday.

Starting on Feb. 22, the overnight shutdown hours will be adjusted to 2 a.m. to 4 a.m., instead of 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.

"The COVID numbers are down, so we adjust, we adjusted indoor dining, the curfew, today we are going to discuss the MTA and increasing the capacity," Cuomo said.

The governor said during those overnight hours, the trains will still be cleared and sanitized.

"CDC says it, health experts say it, the COVID virus is not transmitted as much as they initially suggested on surfaces but it still can be transmitted," Cuomo said. "You want to be safe in the MTA system from crime and COVID. When you are as old as I am, the trains have never been as clean as they are now."

Officials announce changes to subway shutdown hours starting Feb.22.

The overnight subway shutdown has been going on for nearly 10 months. Interim Transit President Sarah Feinberg said the adjustments to the overnight closure is starting to look at a return to normal.

"We have been planning for our own reopening and return to overnight service and we determined a shortened overnight closure is an important step forward towards a return of round the clock service," Feinberg said. "To be clear, we will continue our cleaning regimen, we will continue to clean and disinfect our system 24 hours a day. "

Feinberg said the MTA is confident it can maintain the cleaning and disinfecting that they have been able to do so far.

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