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A city bus driver tested positive for coronavirus, Oahu Transit Services, operator of TheBus and TheHandi-Van announced this afternoon, the third driver who has tested positive after driving a bus or handi-van, and the fourth employee overall.
TheBus operator informed OTS on Sunday that they tested positive for COVID-19, the city Department of Transportation Services said in a news release.
The driver was immediately placed on leave and quarantined, the city said.
The first driver tested positive after returning from a trip outside Hawaii, and had not operated a bus while ill.
The second driver was a bus driver who tested positive in June; the third was a Handi-Van driver who tested positive in July.
The operator’s last day of work was Friday, and did not display any COVID-19 symptoms while working.
OTS immediately began internal contact tracing and found no prolonged contact with any employees or customers.
“The mandatory face covering requirement to ride TheBus has greatly reduced operator and rider contact,” the city said. “The vehicles driven in or by the operator have been thoroughly disinfected and cleaned. “
TheBus has had plastic curtains installed on all buses to provide a barrier between drivers and passengers as they board, and seats closest to the operator have been made unavailable to provide more space. Extra buses have been added on busy routes for further physical separation.
People who are sick or who are in poor health should not take public transportation, the city said.
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