Midland-Penetanguishene Transit will temporarily suspend its Saturday service starting April 25, as Simcoe County and the province of Ontario fight the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The suspension will be in place through the May long weekend, with no service on April 25, May 2, May 9 and May 16.
“Due to decreased demand for service on Saturdays, we have made the decision to temporarily suspend service on those days,” Shawn Berriault, Midland, Ont.’s community services director, said in a statement.
“By taking this action, we are providing our transit operators with an extra day off each week for their health and well-being, and by doing so, ensuring that the service can continue during weekdays for the foreseeable future.”
Midland-Penetanguishene Transit will stay free for riders and continue to operate between Monday and Friday on a Saturday schedule, which will be in effect until “at least May 19.”
Midland officials say riders should board and leave the buses by using the back doors when possible in order to maintain a physical distance from the driver.
“Riders with disabilities may still use the front door if needed,” officials add.
To date, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has reported four cases of the novel coronavirus in Midland and two cases in Penetanguishene. There have been 170 cases of COVID-19 in Simcoe County in total.
On Friday, Ontario reported 9,525 cases of the virus, including 478 deaths.