By Kim Kalunian, WPRO News
The public bathrooms at Kennedy Plaza in Providence were shuttered Monday after someone reported seeing small bugs in the women’s restroom.
Barbara Polichetti, the spokeswoman for RIPTA, the transit authority responsible for the bus hub and bathrooms, said the bugs reported were “very small,” possibly smaller than fleas.
The report came into RIPTA on Saturday, and by Monday, RIPTA had brought in an exterminator to treat the bathrooms. On Monday afternoon, Polichetti told WPRO News that RIPTA would bring in their maintenance team to clean the bathrooms once more before re-opening them to the public.
Polichetti said she didn’t know what type of bugs were spotted, but said she didn’t want to speculate. When asked specifically about lice or fleas, Polichetti said both are concerns in public places.
Polichetti said thousands of people use the restrooms each day. Channel 12 reported the public was being directed to use the restrooms at Providence City Hall until those, too, were closed “out of an abundance of caution.”
