Tower at Chicago's Midway Airport is closed after several air traffic controllers tested positive

[iluvtennis]

Caroline Orr@RVAwonk·1h
Holy crap. According to the FAA, the tower at Chicago's Midway Airport is closed after 'several' air traffic controllers tested positive for #coronavirus.

Link to tweet

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Oh no.

[getagrip_already]

1. well so much for air travel...... n/t

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Which means they'll have to disinfect the whole tower,

and probably quarantine all the controllers who worked there in the last two weeks. Guess MDW will be down for awhile unless they can bring in some new controllers after they've cleaned the place.

[underpants]

3. Oh god.

[dchill]

4. Is that the one with all the packed concourses after...

...the travel ban?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. No, MDW is a smaller airport. O'Hare (ORD) is the big one

where all the people were packed in. MDW doesn't handle international flights.

[dchill]

9. Whoa. I wonder how their ATCs are doing.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. ORD's two ATC towers aren't attached to the main terminal.

The controllers probably wouldn't be in contact with passengers.

[lunasun]

30. No that was Ohare that kind of job you are in a tower and in close proximity to others . Touching

stuff it wouldn’t take much . This is the second biggest airport in Chicago south side .
Ohare is the biggie on north end and designated as 1 of 11 or 12 for international now
Yes 5-7 hr on Sat Sun until finally federal who control decided to do something
but I bet one still can not get out with no wait but not backed up for long hours which was so bad after the ban with no plan.

[roamer65]

5. This virus has been here longer than believed.

I’d say since December.

[lunasun]

31. Reading nurses blog someone gave me and they say same . All the cases flu tested that were neg

but severe enough for ventilation that increased around then at different places plus the symptoms now known match . Of course no proof but now that they are all talking there is some common thread right before the holidays . Also the fact so many pt.s had tested negative for flu +that was ruled out at hospitals really adds to the possibility imo

[roamer65]

37. I really think the dry cough bug I had in early January was this thing.

I don’t live far from a major airport.

[MLAA]

6. Any controllers know if

the workload can be handled from a remote airport? Or must it be done with controllers physically at midway tower?

[PCIntern]

8. Where's Lloyd Bridges and Leslie Nielsen?

Omg. Holy shit....

[Roland99]

12. Shoulda had the Lasagna

[PCIntern]

14. I picked a bad day to quit sniffing glue

[dchill]

15. That's the one!

[John Fante]

28. I just want to tell you good luck. We're all counting on you.

[dchill]

29. Surely you can't be serious.

[John Fante]

34. I am serious and don't call me Shirley.

[uponit7771]

17. omfg, I'm going to look at this movie with my kids. I was 11 and thought this movie was

... the funniest movie on the planet.

Excuse me mam, I speak jive ... lofl

[Roland99]

19. Just note there are a couple of, uh, PG-13 scenes :)

[uponit7771]

20. dangit, true ... They're driving us nuts, Kansas has no more in class school and they think MO

... is next.

We're getting a list of movies ... no where to go.

[Roland99]

21. Play some catch in the yard? Marathon monopoly games?

Coloring contests? Scattegories?

Play wheelbarrow or hide n seek?

[uponit7771]

22. Its the outside stuff I think, we've all been couped up in side mostly cause rain. We've got, basket

... ball, soccer and other activities we do outside nearly daily but they haven't gotten that.

Right now we'll have to practice among ourselves, they'll calm down after they run themselves ragged for 20 minutes.

Uno, Monopoly, bid ... got to order scategories.

[Roland99]

23. Ah. I miss that younger age tho. Ours can wrap up in Minecraft, call of duty, etc

[uponit7771]

24. They're getting to that age, I might as well take it all in before they get to Call Of Duty age

[Roland99]

25. :)

[John Fante]

27. I just want to tell you good luck. We're all counting on you.

[John Fante]

26. I just want to tell you good luck. We're all counting on you.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. Local controllers work with visual contact as well as radar.

They have to have live bodies in the tower to monitor ground traffic on the taxiways as well as departing and arriving, especially aircraft operating under visual flight rules.

[MLAA]

18. thanks, velveteen!

I guess I’m thinking we may have actually been investing in infrastructure (cameras etc. ) technology wise no reason there couldn’t be remote controlling

[burrowowl]

35. Towers require visual of the area and runways

The ATC centers hand off planes to the tower controllers

[Roland99]

11. Well f*ck

[uponit7771]

16. Some think asking about power plants shutting down is overreacting 🙄

[lunasun]

32. +1 I think it's mentioned in some pandemic plan I was reading that was developed b4 this virus

I can’t remember where but it’s not unthinkable , or most EMTs at once get sick etc.

[uponit7771]

36. 👍

[littlemissmartypants]

33. Oh, No! This is really terrible, terrible news.

My heart goes out to them and their families.