TORONTO -- Toronto Mayor John Tory said the city is working to get personal protective equipment to those deemed to need it as more than 30 transit operators refused work Wednesday due to the fact they have not yet been given masks.

More than 30 TTC bus operators at its Queensway bus garage walked off the job Wednesday night, joined by five others in the Wilson Division, demanding the TTC provide them with masks.

They have so far been given hand sanitizer and gloves, but a program to distribute washable face mask to operators is still weeks away.

The Ministry of Labour reviewed the action and said the refusals “did not meet the conditions for a work refusal,” TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said Thursday.

Tory said that the city is consulting with Toronto Public Health on whether to give drivers more equipment

“We’re working now with them to work this issue out to make sure with the advice of Toronto Public Health and the Ministry of Labour that we get PPE to the people who need it,” Tory said.

Tory cited the order for rear door boarding only, plexiglass shielding and physical barriers to keep passengers away from drivers as things protecting drivers from COVID-19 infection.

During its response to the work refusal Wednesday, the Ministry of Labour appeared to concur.

Last week, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said it was a good idea for people to wear masks while out in public to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19.

Tory said it would be impractical to limit the number of passengers boarding buses to prevent crowding without putting the driver of the bus at risk.

“In order to count passengers you’d have to have the driver counting or you’d have to have someone counting at every stop in the city and that’s not really practical,” Tory said.

While the TTC continues to source washable masks, they said drivers are allowed to wear masks on the job, they would just have to pay for them on their own.

An Amalgamated Transit Union official claimed Wednesday that the TTC has a stockpile of at least 200,000 masks.

Seventeen TTC workers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the outbreak began.