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Transit operators fearful of COVID-19 infection are urging Calgary Transit to step up safety measures, their union head said Tuesday.

More needs to be done to disinfect public transit vehicles, particularly buses, which have the potential to spread the novel coronavirus, said Mike Mahar, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 583.

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“They’re front-line workers exposed to more of the general public, which puts them at a greater risk,” he said.

“We want to do what we possibly can to limit exposure.”

Alberta Health officials say COVID-19 cases have now spread beyond those who’ve recently travelled abroad to community-borne infection.

On Sunday, the City of Calgary declared a state of emergency that led to the closure of city facilities and other measures, though public transit has been maintained.

Mahar said he agrees with those stances but said if mass transit is to be maintained, more buses operating would reduce passenger density.