Regular deep cleaning of Staten Island Ferry planned to prevent coronavirus

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The Department of Transportation says the Staten Island Ferry fleet will be subject to deep cleanings of all surfaces and touch points at least once every 72 hours, (Staten Island Advance/Joseph Ostapiuk)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As New York City agencies are ramping up their precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Department of Transportation (DOT), responsible for maintaining and operating the Staten Island Ferry, is stepping up its cleaning efforts in an attempt to curtail the spread of the potentially deadly illness.

The DOT will maintain its around-the-clock cleaning of the St. George and Whitehall ferry terminals, with preparations being made to provide supplemental cleaning on the boats throughout the day, according to the agency.

The DOT says ferryboats will be subject to deep cleanings of all surfaces and touch points at least once every 72 hours, similar to the measures being undertaken by the MTA on the city’s buses and trains.

While not specifically linked to the ferry, DOT employees have been handing out flyers at the Whitehall terminal in recent days to educate travelers on the virus.

The Staten Island Ferry provides a crucial link between Staten Island and Manhattan for approximately 70,000 daily weekday passengers.

MTA RAMPS UP SANITIZATION EFFORTS

The MTA’s mass transit divisions -- New York City Transit, MTA Bus, Access-A-Ride, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North -- have significantly ramped up the frequency and intensity of their sanitizing efforts, using EPA-approved and CDC-endorsed disinfectants.

Frequently touched station surfaces like turnstiles, handrails and MetroCard vending machines will be disinfected daily, with the agency’s full fleet of trains, cars and buses undergoing full sanitization every 72 hours.

This includes 472 stations throughout the subway system, 21 stations along Staten Island Railway, 124 stations and terminals along Long Island Rail Road and 101 stations throughout Metro-North’s New York territory, as well as 6,714 New York City Transit subway cars, 64 Staten Island Railway cars, 1,100 Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North’s cars, 5,700 buses and 1,341 dedicated Access-A-Ride vans.

The agency has also rolled out new health guidance public service announcements (PSAs) both in stations and on trains and buses. The PSAs will complement existing advisories that have been deployed on 3,600 subway screens, 2,000 bus screens, 550 railroad screens and at 84 subway station street entrances.

Customers are advised to avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth, wash their hands often with soap and water, cover their coughs and sneezes with a disposable tissue and remain home if they are sick.

“The safety of our customers and employees is our first priority as we continue to monitor the coronavirus,” said Patrick Warren, MTA chief safety officer. “The MTA is enhancing its cleaning regimen across all our operating agencies to ensure the system is safe for everyone. The best defense against COVID-19, according to the National Centers for Disease Control, continues to be good hygiene -- frequent hand washing and self-care.”

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