SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Transit Authority leaders have made a limited amount of N95 respirators available to its coach and van operators.
According to a memo sent to all STA employees, employees are not required to wear the face masks but they are available if drivers would like them.
“The executive team and I have relied on the clear guidance from leading health authorities regarding the use of protective face masks, including N95 respirators. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Washington Department of Health (DOH), have all advised that due to the global supply shortage, as well as the limited effectiveness when used improperly, face masks should be used by those infected with COVID-19 and the healthcare professionals and first responders overseeing their treatment,” STA Chief Executive Officer E. Susan Meyer wrote in the memo.
Meyer said they have received guidance from local health officials, and they asked that they not distribute the masks to transit workers.
The masks were made available to those employees that want them on Friday.
