Lyft, Amtrak to require employees, passengers to wear face coverings

May 7 (UPI) -- Lyft and Amtrak announced new safety guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including requiring all employees and passengers to wear face coverings.

Lyft issued a statement Thursday announcing a new health and safety program that will require personal health certification, face masks and health safety education for both drivers and riders.

Under the Lyft program, every rider and driver will be required to self certify that they will wear a face covering throughout the entirety of their ride, are free of COVID-19 symptoms, will keep vehicles clean, frequently sanitize their hands and leave windows open when possible.

Passengers must also agree to not ride in the front seat of a Lyft vehicle.

"Anyone who does not agree to the personal health certification will be unable to request a ride or drive with Lyft," the company said.

Amtrak also announced that all customers in stations, trains and thruway buses will be required to wear facial covering beginning Monday.

The railway also announced it has temporarily reduced coach- and business-class sales to 50 percent capacity and is accepting only cashless payments on stations and trains.

It has also implemented guidelines and other information to promote social distancing during trips.

"Signage has been displayed at several of our busiest staffed stations to indicate safe distances in high customer traffic areas such as waiting rooms, in front ticket offices, at the base/top of escalators, lunge entrances, etc.," Amtrak said. "In addition, clear protective barriers have been retrofitted at staffed stations where there are no current glass barriers."