San Pedro, CA — Today, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn is asking Metro to require all bus and train passengers wear face coverings to protect the health of bus drivers and their fellow passengers from COVID-19.
In a letter to Metro CEO Phil Washington Hahn said “given what we know about the COVID-19 virus, the policy of not requiring face coverings puts both Metro passengers and bus drivers at risk.”
The Supervisor’s letter comes after an LA Times article detailed the accounts of Metro bus drivers who fear for their own health and the health of their passengers. While the current Public Health Order requires the public to wear face coverings in essential businesses, Metro has put the onus on bus drivers to determine whether or not to allow passengers on board without face coverings.
“Because so many other essential workers, from grocery store employees to restaurant workers, rely on Metro to get to and from work, Metro’s decision not to require face coverings threatens to compound the spread of this virus across our County,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn.
Due to the urgency of this matter, Supervisor Hahn is asking Metro to take action immediately and not wait until the next meeting of the Metro Board of Directors.
Read the Supervisor’s full letter to Phil Washington here.