COVID-19 Update: Cleaning Enhancements Continue for Transportation and Hospitality

NYC subway to close overnights

The city that’s typically open around the clock will shut down its subway system overnights to increase the cleaning frequencies of trains and stations amid the coronavirus  pandemic, making the system safer for riders and employees,  Associated Press reports. Dozens of New York transit employees have died of COVID-19.

Starting May 6, the subway system will be closed from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., allowing trains and stations to be cleaned and disinfected once every 24 hours. Previously the trains and stations underwent deep cleanings every 72 hours.

Subway ridership plunged by 92% since the start of the pandemic and the system has become a haven from the homeless. Most of the remaining commuters are health care workers, first responders, and other front-line workers who’ve been keeping the city running. The city will provide buses, vans, and other alternative transportation free of cost for essential workers during the 4 hours the subway system is closed.

Cleaning initiative launched to keep hotels safe

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has launched a “Stay Safe” initiative detailing enhanced cleaning practices, social interactions and workplace protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic, Security magazine reports.

Designed to change hotel industry standards, the initiative’s goal is to ensure both hotel guests and employees are confident in the cleanliness and safety of hotels. Developed by industry leaders partnering with public health and science experts, Stay Safe includes best practices for:

• Enhanced cleaning standards throughout the hotel, including guest rooms, meeting spaces, common areas, and back-of-house spaces
• The usage of effective cleaning products with a greater concentration of bacteria-killing ingredients, in accordance with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines 
• Social distancing practices to reducing person-to-person contact
• Increased transparency throughout the guest experience.