Metro News Release

For immediate release: October 20, 2006

Metro to distribute free hand sanitizer to help fight flu

Metro officials, alongside local public health department volunteers, will be distributing free bottles of waterless hand sanitizer to Metrorail and Metrobus riders next week to raise awareness of easy ways to reduce the chances of passing germs as the fall flu season begins. Health officials say that every year in the United States sees an average of 5 to 20 percent of the population getting the seasonal flu.

Metro is partnering with the local public health agencies of Fairfax, Arlington, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, the City of Alexandria and the District of Columbia to distribute health information at booths set up at Metrorail stations in Virginia, the District of Columbia and Maryland.

Metro officials and public health representatives will provide information and free hand sanitizer to the first 1,000 riders at each station where the information booths are located.

Health information booths and the free hand-outs are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. as follows :
• Monday, October 23, at the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU, Rosslyn and Huntington Metrorail stations;
• Wednesday, October 25, at Federal Triangle, Fort Totten and the Smithsonian Metrorail stations; and
• Friday, October 27, at Branch Avenue, Silver Spring and the New Carrollton Metrorail stations.

In addition, 2,000 free bottles of hand sanitizer, compliments of W.W. Grainger, Incorporated’s local Lanham, MD, office will be distributed by bus operators serving the stations.

“Using good personal hygiene can reduce everyone’s risk of catching diseases,” said Fred Goodine, Metro’s Assistant General Manager for System Safety and Risk Protection. “Good health habits include washing your hands often, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth, avoiding close contact with those who are ill, and staying home when you are sick.”

Goodine said that he hopes Metro’s participation to raise public awareness of “staying germ-free to help reduce flu and other diseases, works as I know that similar programs have reduced absenteeism up to 20 percent in other concentrated awareness efforts.”

For more information on reducing the risk of catching the flu, visit www.cdc.gov/flu.

News release issued on October 20, 2006.