#15,144
New York City, with more than 23,000 COVID-19 cases (as of 5pm March 26th), is currently our nation's epicenter for the pandemic virus.
This week, after the CDC (and others) called on people with recent travel to New York City to self-isolate for 14 days, questions were raised about the thousands of transportation and delivery drivers who enter and leave the greater NYC area every day.
Without these daily deliveries, food, prescription drugs, and all manner of essential supplies would begin to run short in as little as 48 to 72 hours. No major city is self-sustainable for very long.If truckers were forced to self-isolate, deliveries would grind to a halt, and a bad situation would quickly become far worse with 20 million residents suddenly cut off, and without supplies. Many would be forced to flee the city, and carry the virus to other regions.
Every public health measure taken during a pandemic is a compromise, a balancing act where you try to reduce public risks without causing additional harm. There is no `perfect' during a pandemic, the best you can hope for it `good enough'.
Truckers, and delivery drivers are essential workers, and without them no response plan can succeed.This statement, issued last night by the CDC, provides guidance for reducing their risks of contracting the virus while in New York City.
CDC Statement on Self-Quarantine Guidance for Greater New York City Transportation and Delivery Workers
For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 26, 2020
Contact: Media Relations(404) 639-3286
When we issued the self-quarantining guidance for greater New York City residents leaving this area, it was out of an abundance of caution to help protect U.S. areas with lower levels of COVID-19 spread. In line with our recommendations for other essential critical infrastructure workers, this guidance does not apply to critical transportation and delivery workers who are desperately needed for New York residents to continue their daily lives and respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Truck drivers and other people driving into the city to deliver needed supplies should stay in their vehicles as much as possible as supplies are loaded and unloaded, avoid being within 6 feet of others as much as possible when they exit their vehicles, and move to electronic receipts if possible. If these drivers need to spend the night in the greater New York City area, they should stay in their hotel rooms or sleeper cab, when available, to the extent possible and continue to practice social distancing. Drivers who take these precautions should not need to self-quarantine when they leave the greater New York area, unless self-quarantine is recommended by state or local officials for all residents in the areas where they live.
Truck drivers and other workers who obtain or deliver needed supplies who live in the greater New York area may continue to work both within and outside of the greater New York area but should stay at home and practice social distancing according to instructions of state and local officials when they are not working. While they are working either within or outside of the greater New York area, they should stay in their vehicles as much as possible, avoid being within 6 feet of others as much as possible when they exit their vehicles, and move to electronic receipts if possible.
We continue to recommend that all people take precautions to stay safe and keep others safe, including washing their hands regularly, staying home when sick, covering coughs and sneezes, and maintaining distance from others.
It remains our guidance that individuals who were recently in the affected areas of New York, out of an abundance of caution, should self-quarantine for 14 days.
