Montague appeals for safety among public transport operators

In view of the first confirmed case of the new coronavirus in Jamaica, Minister of Transport Robert Montague is encouraging members of the public to practice safe habits to prevent the risk of spreading the virus.

Even as the imposed travel restrictions remain in place for China, Italy, South Korea, Singapore, Iran, Spain, France and Germany, Montague is encouraging transport operators to protect themselves, their families and their passengers.

He met with members of the national umbrella group of all taxi Associations, the National Council of Taxi Associations (NCOTA) on Tuesday to discuss these measures.

Operators are therefore encouraged to employ the following practices in their day-to-day movements of people and goods:

* Sanitise door handles and window controls after each trip
* Wear gloves and other personal protective gear
* Frequently wash hands thoroughly with soap and water
* Have a alcohol based hand sanitiser on hand at all times
* Encourage passengers to cover nose and mouths when coughing and sneezing
* Allow proper ventilation in vehicles
* Limit physical contact with the public
* Carry spray sanitisers, disinfecting wipes, and other disinfectants within the vehicle
* If they are sick, do not come out to work.

Montague is also encouraging vigilance as public transportation has the potential to be one of the major sources of transfer of the virus.

He advises that non-essential travel is discouraged, even as our air and sea ports and borders are being closely monitored by key personnel.

So far country’s international airports have implemented a number of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus including the screening of passengers by heat sensing scanners; increased stock levels of personal sanitising items and personal protective equipment; increased efficiency in airport emergency response; and joint inspection of the designated isolation surveillance areas of the airports with the port health team to ensure readiness.  

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