Trains and buses have been scaled back to encourage non-essential workers to stay home and stop the spread of the coronavirus, but riders tell News 12 that some New Yorkers are not keeping their distance on the city's transit system. 

GET INFORMATION: Coronavirus details from the CDC
Coronavirus Prevention: What you can do to protect yourself

A local nurse tells News 12 she took a picture of a crowded 2 train, saying she deals with crowded trains on a daily basis on her way to work. 

She says many first responders like herself are taking mass transit at around 5:30 in the morning and are encountering packed subway cars. 

 "This is scary. I'm going to work and dealing with older patients. I'm going home. It's scary, there's no social distancing and it's for a long period of time," said the nurse, who asked to remain anonymous. 

 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says ridership is down to a historical low on the city's transit system. Despite the drop, News 12 saw some people sitting too close to each other on the train early Friday afternoon when there was lots of room to spread out.

Some are concerned about taking public transportation. 

The MTA tells News 12 in a statement, “The MTA designed its Essential Service Plan to be flexible and responsive, and we have been quickly adding trains as needed to help maintain social distance. We are monitoring this in real-time and we are doing everything possible with the crews we have available to ensure customer and employee health and safety." 

As the MTA continues to operate on a modified schedule, city officials are urging New Yorkers to do their part and be aware of how close they are to the person next to them whether they are on the line, in the supermarket or using mass transit.