Cherriots – 04/08/20 10:39 AM
In response to new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cherriots is requiring all riders to wear a face mask or other facial covering before entering a bus beginning Friday, April 10. People, however, are encouraged to begin the practice immediately.
The CDC recommends that anyone leaving their homes should use face coverings such as a mask, scarf, or bandana to limit their potential exposure to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus and to prevent exposing others. Gov. Kate Brown also released a statement asking Oregonians to add wearing a homemade mask in public to the list of precautions.
Transit operators and all other Cherriots employees also will be required to wear a face mask covering the nose and mouth, beginning Friday.
“We take recommendations from the CDC, Oregon Health Authority, and the Governor seriously, which has led us to now require riders to wear face masks or other protective face coverings while riding our buses,” said General Manager Allan Pollock. “With everyone’s cooperation and compliance, we can continue to safely provide essential service to our community.”
Supervisory and security staff will monitor compliance with the face covering requirement. Riders who are not wearing a mask or facial covering, will not be allowed to board.
Other actions taken by Cherriots to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, include:
- Provide drivers with gloves, hand-sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, masks, and face shields.
- Employee Cleaning Teams are sanitizing vehicles during layovers at transit centers.
- All vehicles in use are sanitized daily, including rails, stanchions, doors, grab handles, and wheel wells. The operator dash panels, steering wheel, and other touch points are being sanitized.
- Twice daily, all buildings touch points such as door knobs, restrooms, fixtures, telephones, and chairs are being sanitized. TB Quat, which is a disinfectant that complies with OSHA’s blood borne pathogen standard for disinfecting surfaces soiled with potentially infectious fluids, is added to mop water to sanitize floors.
- Vehicles and buildings were deep cleaned this past weekend.
- Shelter benches and touch points are being sanitized when facilities services workers stop to perform maintenance and cleaning.
- Cherriots is enforcing a rear-door boarding and exiting only policy to put space between operators and riders.
- At transit centers, spaces have been marked six feet apart where riders can stand while waiting for their bus.
- Seating on buses is limited. Bus interiors have been measured and available seats are spaced for social distancing.
- Cherriots closed the Customer Service lobby and windows. Staff members are available by telephone at 503-588-2877, by email at info@cherriots.org, and on social media channels. The Keizer Transit Center lobby is also closed.
- The Administrative Offices and Del Webb Operations Center are closed to visitors. Staff members are available by email and telephone.
- Staff who are working in District buildings are limited. Some tables and seating had been removed from the driver break rooms and placed in more spacious areas to allow for social distancing.
