Kitsap Transit announced it will be extending its fare-free period through the end of July in efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the county.

KT originally stopped collecting fares on all its services back on March 23, which will now be extended even further. The temporary fare-free policy applies to all services, including Routes, ACCESS, worker/driver, vanpool, and ferries. Current capacity on KT buses is at about 25 to 30 percent to allow for social distancing, while the maximum passenger loads on fast ferries will continue to be 46 passengers on each sailing, according to a press release.

Additionally, health care workers and first responders should stand in the same lines as other passengers and must arrive at least 10 minutes before a scheduled sailing to be eligible for priority boarding in case the sailing reaches capacity. Only official medical-facility ID badges will be accepted for health care workers (no contractors or subcontractors).