MUSCATINE COUNTY, Iowa — For nearly three months, MuscaBus had been operating an "appointment-only" shuttle service.
"it was the right decision to suspend the routes," said Muscatine's Communications Manager, Kevin Jenison.
Routes were suspended in early April when the county began seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases. However, beginning this week, the city's fleet is in full swing.
"Our numbers are down and they’ve been kind of flat for awhile," said Jenison.
According to data, positive COVID cases in the county hit an all-time low last month with five or fewer daily cases being reported for nearly six weeks.
"We had zero [daily cases] in there actually," said the County's Public Health Director, Christy Roby Williams when referencing the latest trend in numbers. "The very beginning of June we were looking really good."
As of Thursday July 2, Muscatine County reported 624 positive cases to date. Williams estimates that approximately 45 individuals are active cases.
"We know in public health that once things get opened back up and people move around - the virus jumps," said Williams.
She said she does not anticipate the reopening of public transit to lead to a spike in cases.
"If we can keep up the good work we can keep our numbers to the “no to low” counts each day." said Williams.
Jenison said all passengers will be required to wear face masks while riding the bus and the mask must cover your nose and mouth at all times.
"Our drivers are comfortable with that. They feel a little bit better when they see people wearing a mask," said Jenison. "Most the people have been in total agreement with it... wearing a mask is something they’re willing to do."
Jenison adds that high-touch points are wiped down by drivers after each route and the entire bus is cleaned at the end of each day.
"The people who ride our buses, the people who maintain the buses, the people who drive the buses - they all are part of the solution to this crisis," said Jenison.
The County Health Department said while taking public transportation may be essential for some, it is considered a risk factor for getting COVID-19. Williams suggest practicing social distancing, avoiding cash fares, and using hand sanitizer before and after riding any public transit.
"It's an individual responsibility that will have a collective impact on population health," said Williams.
Fares for MuscaBus are $1.00 per ride on the route buses and $2.00 per ride on the shuttles. Services are open to the general public including persons with disabilities and service animals.