Transit officials on Tuesday announced plans to administer one thousand COVID-19 vaccines per week to relocate workers from the headquarters of the New York City Transit Authority in downtown Brooklyn.
The launch of the MTA’s first on-site vaccination center is part of the agency’s current effort to protect its employees from the deadly virus, which caused labor shortages and service disruptions in March and April.
According to official figures, more than 140 infection workers have died from the virus. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday at the Livingston Street injection site, MTA President Pat Foye urged workers to look into any hesitation and be protected.
“We believe some of our colleagues may be hesitant about getting the vaccine, but the data is fairly clear,” he said.
“CDC and other public health experts agree that available vaccines are safe and effective in reducing the risk of disease.”
Foe, who himself caught the bug last March, received his first vaccine dose shortly after the press conference.
Officials said vaccination will be available at 130 Livingston St. Wednesday through Sunday. All MTA employees are eligible to receive shots on site.
As many as 50,000 or more employees of the MTA have been vaccinated so far. But only a “small fraction” told the agency that they were not interested in taking the shot, Foye said.
Thousands of transit workers left work in March and April as the COVID-19 epidemic caused a ruckus through New York City. Caught off-guard, transit officials were forced to cancel as many as 40 percent of scheduled trains in a few days.
“The main thing I wanted to accomplish with getting the vaccine was I wanted to see my mom,” said transit worker Robert Worthy, who spoke at a press conference with Foy.
“My mother is 84 years old, and I have not been able to give her a hug in a year. I am eager to do so. And more, I’m hoping to hug her. “
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