With news that novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is spreading within King County and has already claimed five lives, local agencies are stepping up efforts to contain the spread. Over the weekend, King County Metro and Sound Transit announced they were intensifying cleaning of their buses, vans, and traincars and would pull unsanitary transit vehicles out of service. They also urged passengers to wash their hands regularly, to cover sneezes and coughs, and to stay home if they’re sick.
“We want to reassure the public that King County and Metro are actively tracking this public health crisis and coordinating with experts at Public Health and the state Department of Health,” Metro spokesperson Jeff Switzer wrote on the Metro Matters blog.
“At this time, transit service will continue to operate as scheduled,” Switzer continued. “Metro crews are cleaning buses daily, and in the event of an unsanitary condition, our continuing practice is remove a bus from service to conduct a thorough cleaning and disinfecting before it returns to service.”
Sound Transit likewise was stepping up sanitation efforts.
“Crews are putting focus on cleaning vehicles and facilities more deeply and frequently, and removing any vehicle from service until it is disinfected when there is a biohazard,” Sound Transit wrote on its blog. “If you see something that needs attention please alert a transit employee. You can call or text our security office 24 hours a day at 206-398-5268. Our cleaning will put particular focus on ‘high touch’ areas like handrails, escalators, elevator buttons, etc.”
