Innovation coming out of King County Metro is breaking down one key barrier many guests at DCHS’s emergency isolation, quarantine and recovery centers face—getting safe transportation to and from care that also helps prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Metro’s Transportation for Pandemic Response
This video about Metro’s Transportation for Pandemic Response program shows how the team stepped up at the onset of the crisis to quickly retrofit vehicles within its fleet to safely transport disabled and low-income passengers who have COVID symptoms or a positive diagnosis to needed medical care.
Metro and MV Transportation worked in partnership with the Department of Community and Human Services and Public Health – Seattle & King County to develop the initiative, engineer customized driver shields, and provide additional safety training and personal protective equipment to employees.
Between every ride, the vehicle returns to one of King County Metro’s vehicle disinfecting sites where it is deep-cleaned and disinfected. The 17 vehicles used for the Transportation Pandemic Response program are kept in a separate facility and are NOT used for any other purpose.
The program will continue to serve the community during the COVID-19 crisis for as long as needed, transporting those who need a safe place to isolate, quarantine and recover to King County’s emergency facilities.
DCHS thanks all of King County Metro’s essential workers for going above and beyond to safely transport our community during this pandemic.
Thank you, Metro Component Supply Center teams who custom-built the protective driver barriers. Thank you, MV Transportation drivers and team who dispatch the rides, transport passengers to and from isolation and quarantine, clean and disinfect the vans between each use, and much more.
