Rising COVID cases force Staten Island Ferry schedule changes
NEW YORK -- COVID cases in New York City are on the rise, so much so, it's impacting service at the Staten Island Ferry.
The ferry terminal on the Manhattan side was packed Sunday with people going back and forth from Staten Island.
Starting Monday, boats will leave every 20 minutes between 6-9 a.m. and between 4-8 p.m. That'll add five minutes to wait times.
The city's Department of Transportation says the changes will continue through at least July 26.
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Passengers like Alex Berg are well aware COVID isn't over.
"I think it's still an ongoing issue and we need to deal with, and everybody still has to take precautions and be safe," he told CBS2's Kevin Rincon. "Being that there's such an abundant amount of foot traffic, it could always be an issue."
Because of the crew shortages, the city's DOT says there could be overnight cancellations as well.
In the city, COVID transmission rates spiked by more than 30 percent in the last week.
Statewide, the 7-day positive rate is hovering close to 9 percent. Gov. Kathy Hochul says, "With new variants spreading throughout the state, we must remain vigilant," asking New Yorkers who are traveling or not feeling well to get tested.
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Across the country, COVID cases are up 15 percent in the last two weeks. Hospitalizations are up 20 percent.
These new infections are being fueled by Omicron subvariants that didn't even exist last year.
"It's the B.5 variant that's growing. It has the capacity to evade the immunity that we've acquired from vaccination and also from prior infection," former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said.
Gottlieb says the number of infections are likely higher given many who do those at-home tests don't self-report.
"There's over 100,000 cases on average being reported," he said. "We're probably detecting 1 in 10 infections right now, so it's probably more like a million."
Health experts like Gottlieb continue to urge people get vaccinated and wear masks in crowded spaces.
