The NAS against COVID: 693 checks on public transport, 26 positive for the virus among local buses and trains

During the current health emergency, the Carabinieri Health Protection Command has carried out, in close agreement with the Ministry of Health, a campaign of checks at national level in order to verify the correct application of epidemic containment measures within public transport services, with the aim to protect the health of the numerous users who use means of transport. The interventions carried out in the last few days involved 693 vehicles used for transport, including urban and extra-urban buses, subways, school buses, local rail and navigation connections, but also ticket offices, waiting rooms and metro stations. Among the objectives checked, 65 highlighted irregularities, mainly connected with the failure to comply with the measures to prevent contagion from COVID-19, such as the failure to carry out cleaning and sanitisation operations, the failure to display signs informing users about the rules of conduct and the maximum number of people allowed on board, the absence of spacers placed on the seats and disinfectant gel dispensers or their failure to function. Overall, 4 managers of transport companies were referred to the competent judicial authorities for failing to prepare safety and hygiene procedures in the workplace for the benefit of the operators, and a further 62 managers were sanctioned for administrative irregularities, imposing financial penalties amounting to around 25 thousand euros. The verification activities were supported by the execution of 756 surface swabs on means of transport and stations (validation machines, handles and support bars for passengers, stop and seating request buttons), carried out in collaboration with the local emergency services. ASL, Environmental Protection Agencies and university bodies, which also oversaw the analytical examination phase for COVID-19 research. Among the surface swabs collected, 32 cases of positivity were detected due to the presence of genetic material attributable to the virus, identified in buses, metro and railway carriages operating on public transport lines in Rome, Viterbo, Rieti, Latina, Frosinone, Varese and Grosseto. The finding of the presence of genetic material of the virus on the surface of the means of transport, although not an indication of its actual capacity for virulence or vitality, certainly detects the transit and contact of infected individuals on board the vehicle, determining the permanence of a viral trace. The control activities of the NAS Carabinieri will continue in order to protect the health of citizens and the community, with particular attention to the aspects connected with the ongoing epidemic emergency context.

Main operational situations:

NAS Rome

The NAS of the Capital, with the support of technical personnel from the Regional Environmental Protection Agency of Lazio (ARPAL), carried out, in addition to checks on compliance with contagion prevention measures, the sampling of 42 swabs on vehicles and metro cars and railways of the urban and extra-urban public transport network. Following laboratory analyses, 11 positive samples were detected from a city bus, from 4 buses on extra-urban lines in the capital and from 6 carriages on the Rome Lido extra-urban railway line. The swabs that tested positive for the presence of COVID-19 were taken from points considered sensitive, such as car opening handles, stop call buttons, passenger support bars and seat headrests.

NAS Latina

During checks on the urban transport network of Latina and Frosinone, 10 positive cases of COVID-19 were detected on the common parts of 5 buses, one in the Pontine capital and 4 in the Ciociaria capital, following a series of swabs carried out together to ARPA Lazio on various vehicles operating for the public passenger movement service. The findings led to the immediate start of extraordinary sanitization operations on the vehicles used.

NAS Viterbo

As part of the inspections conducted on vehicles on public transport lines in the provinces of Viterbo and Rieti, swabs were also carried out inside the vehicles. Following the analytical results obtained by the laboratory of the Regional Environmental Protection Agency of Lazio, 9 positivities emerged, respectively attributable to 5 cases in Viterbo and 4 in Rieti identified on buses used in municipal transport services.

NAS Milano

As part of checks by the NAS of Milano on multiple public transport services in the provinces of Milano, Como, Varese and Monza-Brianza (urban and extra-urban bus and metro lines, local railways and lake navigation ferries), 72 swabs were also carried out both in the cars and in the waiting rooms and ticket offices, mainly in the points considered most critical for potential viral spread, such as seats, handles and button panels. Laboratory tests carried out by the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardy revealed the positivity to COVID relating to a swab taken on a bus belonging to a private company operating in the province of Varese. Further sanitization procedures were promptly launched on all vehicles in the fleet and further investigations were carried out on the methods for carrying out ordinary cleaning and prevention operations also connected with containment measures. The control activity of the NAS has received applause from the transport companies operating in the Lombardy capital.

NAS Livorno

The NAS soldiers, supported by the technical staff of the Tuscany USL Company, carried out an inspection at the vehicle depot located in Grosseto belonging to an extra-urban passenger transport company. The check, aimed at verifying the sanitization procedures regarding the fight against Covid-19 required by the regulations on means of transport, was supplemented by the carrying out of swabs on the surfaces of 3 buses present. Following the analytical laboratory examination, an environmental swab carried out on the "stop button" of one of the vehicles was positive, for which the operators subjected it to detention, until general sanitisation and safety conditions were restored. The manager of the transport company was reported to the Administrative Authority for having failed to adopt suitable protocols for the sanitization of the vehicles used for public transport.

NAS Catanzaro

The NAS of Catanzaro ascertained that a bus of the Lamezia Terme (CZ) transport company had not been subjected to the required disinfection and was not equipped with sanitizing dispensers. For this reason, an administrative fine of 400 euros was imposed on the administrator.

NAS Trento

The Carabinieri of the NAS of Trento have referred to the Judicial Authority the manager of a company, as an employer, managing the Rovereto (TN) railway station since it was ascertained that some emergency exits were closed so as not to allow correct evacuation in the event of an alarm. It was also noted that there was a lack of distinction between the incoming and outgoing lanes of users from the ticket offices and the platforms, such as to cause intersections between users.

NAS Lecce

I Carabinieri of the NAS have noted the failure to comply with the ban on the ticketing service on board a bus of the local transport company operating in the urban area of ​​Lecce. Furthermore, the dispenser for sanitizing hands and the signs on the maximum number of passengers allowed and on the behavior to be implemented to combat the spread of the virus were missing. The administrative fine of 400 euros was imposed on the company's director.

NAS Turin

At the conclusion of an inspection, the delegated employer and the manager of the prevention and protection service of a public transport company in the municipality of Perosa Argentina (TO) were referred to the Judicial Authority, as they were held responsible for not having replaced , within the company's operational headquarters, the first aid medical devices that have expired and not having affixed the required information signs on the risk of contagion from Covid-19 in the rooms used for storing and washing vehicles.