Boston and four other nearby communities are offering hospital staff a month of free publicly shared bicycles in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, officials announced Tuesday.

Employees at more than a dozen medical centers in Greater Boston will now be able to access 3,500 Bluebikes at more than 300 stations in the state capital as well as in Brookline, Cambridge, Everett and Somerville, according to a statement from Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.

The program, supported by the ride-share company Lyft, offers unlimited 45-minute trips to hospital staff, who have until April 30 to use the discount. Officials will later reevaluate the service to determine if it should be extended, the statement said.

“We continue to operate Bluebikes as an essential transportation service, whether as part of a trip to or from the T or as a trip from home to work,” Walsh said in his statement. “Bikes are disinfected regularly, including high-touch areas such as handlebars and seatposts.”

Additional preventative measures are in place for Bluebikes staff so they do not contract COVID-19. Commonly touched surfaces on vans used to transport the bicycles are disinfected at the start of every shift, and employees have been encouraged to use paid sick time if they are feeling unwell, according to Walsh.

Some of the hospitals participating in the program include Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge and Somerville Hospital.

“Our goal is to provide reliable transportation for all essential workers. We continue to monitor how our bikes are moving throughout the system,” the mayor’s statement said.

Transportation continues to be a growing issue in the midst of the outbreak of the viral respiratory infection - especially for workers deemed essential like health care, pharmacy and grocery store employees. Gov. Charlie Baker issued a stay-at-home advisory shutting down all non-essential operations, but essential businesses and personnel are exempt.

Peter Pan Bus Lines has temporarily reduced schedules across Massachusetts and the entire Northeast, and the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority started to operate on a modified schedule this week in Springfield and Northampton.

In Greater Boston, ridership on the MBTA continues to decrease due to the stay-at-home advisory and because of changes to the transportation service’s operating schedule.

The MBTA began earlier this month to disinfect all of its station equipment every four hours to reduce transmission of the coronavirus. Officials have also asked customers to board buses and trolleys from the rear.

“These systemwide service changes allow only for travel that is absolutely necessary and prioritize transit for essential workers, such as hospital staff and emergency responders, who are crucial in helping to slow the spread of COVID-19,” the MBTA’s website says.

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