New York City subway services are set to run less frequently this week as COVID-19 cases soar

• Subway services across New York City are set to run less frequently from Monday to Thursday.
• NYCTA said that it had been "affected by the COVID surge," without elaborating.

Subway services across New York City are set to run less frequently from Monday to Thursday as COVID-19 cases swell.

The New York City Transit Authority, a division of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said on Sunday that subways would be less frequent and passengers may have to wait longer for their train. It advised people to check travel information in advance.

In a tweet announcing the scheduling changes, NYCTA said that it had been "affected by the COVID surge," without elaborating.

Other transport providers have slashed services as staff members have caught or been exposed to the virus. More than 700 flights within, into, or out of the US were canceled on Monday, per FlightAware, with many US airlines citing staff sickness.

COVID-19 cases have been on the rise across the US in recent weeks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 291,671 new cases on Monday, December 20, 205,076 on Tuesday, and 243,817 on Wednesday, the most-recent day for which data is available over the holiday period.

The highest number of new cases since the start of the pandemic was reported on January 8, when the CDC added 294,015 cases.

The rise in cases comes amid the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant. Omicron is now the dominant coronavirus strain in the US and cases are surging in other countries, too. Studies suggest that the variant is more transmissible than previous variants like Delta, though some data suggests that its symptoms appear milder.

Though national COVID-19 cases haven't yet hit a new weekly peak, cases in New York City have soared. The city's seven-day moving average hit a record 12,480 cases on Wednesday, the most-recent day for which CDC data is available. At the height of last winter's peak, the city's seven-day moving average reached 6,346, CDC data shows.

New York City travelers can now get free PCR tests at the Times Square-42nd Street subway station and Grand Central Station. The Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue-74th Street subway station and the Times Square-42nd Street subway station have also both opened sites for booster jabs.