Masks to be available on DDOT buses to ensure driver, rider safety

(FOX 2) - The city will be providing surgical masks on DDOT buses for those who don’t have one to keep both drivers and riders safe.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said Tuesday that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gave the city 20,000 surgical masks that were not needed by hospitals to be distributed on DDOT buses.

“We ask every single rider, if you don’t have a mask before you get on the bus, please take one,” he said.

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Starting Wednesday, the mayor said there will be a box of masks similar to that of a tissue box to ensure they are sanitary and a sign to take one.

Anyone who already has a mask or access to a mask is asked not to take one.

COO Hakim Berry reminds Detroiters that you can wear masks again until they are soiled, just store them in a paper bag between uses.

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The mayor said 127 DDOT employees will be tested using the instant tests on Tuesday.

DETROIT NUMBERS

Denise Fair, Chief Public Health Officer of the Detroit Health Department, said as of Tuesday, there are 5,501 cases in the city and 221 deaths. That is 469 more cases than yesterday and 25 more deaths.

DRIVE-THRU TESTING UPDATE

Duggan said over 6,000 tests have been scheduled at the drive-thru testing site at the State Fairgrounds. They are testing over 800 a day and are expected to reach 1,000 a day by Monday.

The mayor said they would not be where they are without the help of Quicken Loans, which lent employees as a call center - taking 1,500 calls a day.

“It is the smoothest running drive-thru (testing) in America,” Duggan said.