BOSTON (WHDH) - A day after the MBTA reduced schedules because of the coronavirus, riders snapped pictures of trains and buses full of people packed too close for recommended isolation distances during the outbreak.
In riders’ photos, people were sitting closely together on commuter rail cars and had no space between each other on the Blue Line and on buses. Health officials are recommending people stay six feet away from each other to prevent the coronavirus’ spread.
T officials had said the reduced schedule was intended to help slow the spread of the virus, but riders said it was disrupting their lives.
“I want the schedule to go back to normal so I have time to go to work, get breakfast if I need to,” said Mindley Pierre-Louis. “This whole coroanvirus is terrible, it’s causing strain on everyone.”
“We’re actively monitoring rider volume and feedback and making service adjustments accordingly to meet the needs of our community,” the MBTA tweeted Tuesday. “As this situation evolves, we will continue to focus on providing workforce access to hospitals and food distribution locations.”
Now, T officials are saying that they will be adding service back to high volume routes such as the Green E Line and the Blue Line.
UPDATE: @MBTA adding service for essential travelers, including those working shifts at medical facilities, government offices, and food distribution establishments. #7News pic.twitter.com/3WqQGVj0fJ
— Justin Dougherty (@DoughertyJC) March 18, 2020
T officials also said employees are performing extra cleaning and sanitizing of trains.
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