No death benefits for unvaccinated

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to extend a $500,000 death benefit to its employees who die of COVID-related causes through the end of 2021, a senior authority official said this week. But the benefit will remain unavailable to those who decline to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The authority, which runs New York City’s subways, buses and commuter trains, has provided the $500,000 benefit to all of its 68,000 employees since last year. But in April, as vaccines became widely available, the authority decided that, starting in June, the benefit would be available only to the families of employees who had been vaccinated.