If you live in New York City and take the subway to work, you may want to give yourself some extra commute time. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced random Ebola-response drills across the Metropolitan Transportation Authority system, according to Huffington Post.
"We'll run drills where someone is on a New York City subway train, and that person becomes ill under circumstances one might think that person might be an Ebola candidate," Cuomo said at a press briefing according to Huffington Post. "How do you handle the case from the New York City subway system to an ambulance to the right hospital? Those practical drills are going to be what we're moving to, on an unannounced basis."
Cuomo also said New York City officials are working under the assumption that an outbreak in the city is a distinct possibility.
No information was provided on when the drills will occur, how often or how it will affect the public (imagine seeing someone in a full-body isolation suit get on your train car), but Cuomo acknowledged MTA employees. "This is not in their job description," Cuomo said, according to Huffington Post. "It's not what you sign up for when you're a transit worker."
Thomas Prendergast, CEO of MTA, said the drills will give employees a opportunity to practice things like disposing of infected materials to moving a victim from the subway to a prepared hospital.
It seems NYC has adopted a "better safe than sorry" policy. According to Huffington Post, a reporter asked Cuomo if he was taking things too far. "Our operating model is 'Err on the side of caution,'" he replied.
