From Subways to Hospitals... New York City Faces Public Sector Workforce Shortage Due to Omicron

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] New York City, which recorded 110,000 new COVID-19 cases just this week, is experiencing labor shortages across various public sectors. The New York Fire Department has urged people to refrain from calling 911 unless it is an emergency, and one subway line has temporarily suspended operations.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 29th (local time) that "as more employees fall ill with COVID-19, public services are also being disrupted," adding that "the city is operating at half its normal pace."

The New York City Fire Department appealed not to make 911 (equivalent to 119 in Korea) calls unless it is a critical emergency. The NYT noted, "Since the spread of Omicron, there has been a flood of requests from mild patients asking to be transported to hospitals."

Currently, one out of every six firefighters is sick, and nearly one out of every three paramedics is on sick leave. The New York Police Department (NYPD) has also temporarily banned annual leave, excluding sick leave, due to labor shortages.

The W subway line, which connects Queens and southern Manhattan, temporarily suspended operations on the same day, and five other lines experienced delays. New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated, "We will not mandate vaccinations for transportation workers. Mandating vaccinations would worsen the labor shortage."

Many public libraries have closed due to staff shortages, and some hospitals are postponing scheduled surgeries or transferring patients to other hospitals with better conditions due to infections among medical staff. On Broadway, some performances have been halted due to a surge in positive cases among cast and crew.

In some areas of New York City, the COVID-19 test positivity rate is soaring close to 30%, making it inevitable that public service operations will be impacted for the time being.

On the same day, New York State reported about 67,000 new cases, the highest daily number since the pandemic began. Hospitalizations also increased by about 10% from the previous day, reaching approximately 6,700 patients.

Governor Hochul said, "We are basically preparing for a January surge," adding, "We know it is coming, and it would be foolish to think otherwise."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.