Face Masks Given To MoCo Bus Riders Who Need Them: Coronavirus

SILVER SPRING, MD — Montgomery County will start providing face coverings to bus passengers on Tuesday as part of a pilot program to make personal protective equipment more accessible to riders during the pandemic.

On April 16, the county issued a health order requiring all Ride On passengers to wear a face covering whenever they take the bus. According to health officials, wearing a cloth face covering — like a bandana or scarf — may cut down on pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

In an effort to "flatten the curve," the county's Department of Transportation will begin providing limited supplies of face coverings for bus passengers who cannot produce their own.

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"MCDOT recognizes there may be times when Ride On users may not be aware of requirements for face coverings or may forget to bring one," officials said in a statement. "To address those situations, Ride On is starting to outfit some buses with a limited supply of individually wrapped face coverings that can be used by riders who cannot provide their own."

Buses will be outfitted with face coverings as they become available, officials said, with select buses serving the Silver Spring area being the first. The goal is to equip all Ride On buses with PPE by early May.

During Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan's stay-at-home order, people should only be leaving their homes for essential trips, like going to the grocery store or the doctor's office. While in public, Marylanders should adhere to social distancing guidelines and wear a face covering.

"I strongly encourage Ride On passengers to provide their own face coverings whenever possible and so we can reserve these spare coverings for those who have no alternative," MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. "I also want to reinforce that bus service is being provided for essential travel only."

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