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MOOSIC — U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright Wednesday called on Greyhound Lines, Inc. to limit its bus service between Northeastern Pennsylvania and greater New York City.

Cartwright, D-Moosic, asked that the bus line to transport only individuals traveling for essential purposes, as there has been a significant, sustained rise in COVID-19 cases in both areas.

“My district in Northeastern Pennsylvania is the closest Pennsylvania congressional district to greater New York City,” Cartwright wrote in a letter to Dave Leach, President and CEO of Greyhound Lines, Inc. in Dallas, Texas. “I write at this time to ask you to limit your passengers from greater New York City to Pennsylvania to only those engaging in essential travel (i.e. following CDC guidance), and that you only allow passengers on buses to Pennsylvania from greater New York City who are not exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. At present, every county in my congressional district is under a ‘shelter in place’ order from Pennsylvania’s governor due to the outbreak.”

Cartwright wrote that he realizes that Greyhound buses serve as the only or best means of travel for some essential travelers.

“But, as COVID-19 continues to spread across the country, I think it is temporarily imperative to do everything in our power to slow that spread, especially from areas of a higher rate of infection to areas of lower rates,” Cartwright wrote. “Hospitals will need this lessening effect to be realized in order to keep up with the numbers of critically ill patients who need emergency treatment.”

Cartwright also notes in the letter that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have previously issued an advisory that residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut limit their travel to only essential travel, including but not limited to travel related to commercial trucking, public health professionals, financial services and food supply.

Rep. Cartwright calls on Greyhound to limit NYC service