Editor's Note: This article was originally published in the Belleville News-Democrat.
The public transportation system for Metro East and St. Louis-area residents is being disinfected throughout the day and every night during the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Thursday.
Bi-State Development President Taulby Roach, who oversees Metro, said the buses and MetroLink trains are disinfected with “COVID-19-approved treatments,” including fogging. They are also cleaned throughout the day at route turns and midday changes.
St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern relayed the message from Roach during the county’s daily news conference Thursday.
“I think it’s important to note that because many of us rely on public transportation in this time, so we want to keep that running, and we want to keep it running safely,” Kern said.
He said Roach told him trains and buses are pulled off the system to be disinfected immediately if someone on board shows symptoms, such as coughing.
According to the latest information on Metro’s website, it does not plan to reduce service during the outbreak of the respiratory illness. The website was last updated on Tuesday.
Lexi Cortes is a reporter for the Belleville News-Democrat, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
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