By Hanna Park
(NEW YORK) New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a mandate on Monday for employees of the state’s MTA and Port Authority to be vaccinated or face weekly testing amid the rising spread of the delta coronavirus variant, The New York Times reported. The policy will go into effect starting on Labor Day.
The new mandate applies to 68,000 workers of the MTA, which operates New York City’s subway and bus system, as well as commuter rails that serve the city’s counties.
It will also apply to employees of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs La Guardia Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.
“I don’t believe a mask policy is going to be enough,” Cuomo said at a press conference on Monday. “I think we’re going to have to talk about a vaccination policy.”
“You should be vaccinated, or don’t work in a frontline position,” Cuomo added.
Cuomo framed the new requirement as a key move to help curb the spread of the virus as transit workers interacted with millions of riders each day as well as boost confidence among riders concerned about their health and safety.