Toronto’s transit agency has announced it will be implementing a number of operational changes amid the COVID-19 outbreak, including allowing employees to wear their own masks at work.
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) announced the policy changes in a news release issued on Wednesday.
“TTC employees who choose to wear their own masks while working will be permitted to do so,” the release read.
Officials made the decision Wednesday after previously refusing to allow employees to wear masks under the advice of Toronto Public Health. In recent weeks, the union representing TTC workers has pushed the transit agency to reconsider its decision.
“(Toronto Public Health) continues to advise against wearing masks for healthy individuals and has noted that masks may in fact increase risk as they can lead to individuals touching their face more often than necessary. However, going forward employees who choose to wear additional (personal protective equipment) will not be asked to remove it,” the TTC said.
In addition to the announcement on masks, the TTC said starting “shortly,” when Toronto Community Housing clients are identified as having COVID-19 symptoms, Wheel-Trans will take patients to health care centres for testing and additionally, to an isolation centre if necessary.
The transit agency went on to note that Wheel-Trans operators will have access to “supplied and properly fitted” masks when they are making hospital trips.
Operators have also been directed to implement all-door boarding on all vehicles.
“This change is being made to avoid creating pinch points at single door entry and allow for further social distancing among customers and between customers and operators,” the TTC added.
Mayor John Tory thanked TTC employees for adjusting to the changes.
“Our frontline TTC workers move our city every day but it is more important than ever that they keep service running so that health care workers who rely on transit can get to work to help people who need it the most right now,” Tory said in a written statement.
The union representing transit workers said the policy change following their "strong and persistent demands" to allow workers the right to protect themselves by wearing masks.
“While we wish the TTC would have moved sooner on this, we appreciate the policy change to provide workers the choice to wear protective masks on the job," said Carlos Santos, ATU Local 113 President, in a statement.
Santos said the all-door boarding will help avoid ocercrowding at entrances and provide safe distancing for TTC workers and riders.
