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| © Stephanie Keith/Getty Images Public transportation coronavirus safety tips. |
By Taylor Rock, The Active Times
As offices begin to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic, city dwellers will start taking public transportation again. However, COVID-19 is still contagious, so it’s important to practice respiratory etiquette and proper hygiene beyond washing your hands.
According to the CDC, commuters should maintain the practices that health officials have advised following all along: Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before you leave the house and when you reach your destination; avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth; cover your coughs and sneezes; stay 6 feet apart from others; and wear a face mask properly.
In addition to the above, travelers using public transit should avoid touching surfaces where germs can hide such as kiosks, digital interfaces such as touchscreens and fingerprint scanners, ticket machines, turnstiles, handrails, restroom surfaces, elevator buttons and benches. Use touchless payment and no-touch trash cans and doors when available. If you must exchange cash or credit cards, place them in a receipt tray or on the counter rather than offering them by hand.
When possible, travel during non-peak hours when there are likely to be fewer people. Avoid gathering in groups and stay out of crowded places, especially at transit stations and stops. Consider leaving a row of empty seats between yourself and other riders, enter and exit buses through rear entry doors, and look for floor decals or other indicators that promote social distancing.
With all that said, it’s not always an option to avoid crowds. In fact, according to a recent study, these are the most difficult states to practice social distancing in.
