OC Transpo Reported 3 Drivers With COVID-19 In One Week
There are certain professions that put people more at risk during the pandemic. That includes those who work in transit. Recently, OC Transpo revealed that three of their drivers had been confirmed as having COVID-19.
In an update released on August 14, the organization revealed that a third driver had been diagnosed with the virus. They reportedly last worked on August 11 and were experiencing symptoms during their shift.
Editor's Choice: The TTC Is Finally Fixing Toronto's Overcrowded Bus Problem
OC Transpo says that the driver is now self-isolating at home.
This is the third employee to have been confirmed as having COVID-19 in a week.
The first was on August 8, although the driver had not worked since July 28. OC Transpo said that this person got their positive test on August 6 and had been at home since then.
The second case was announced on August 10. The employee in this case had last worked on August 7 and tested positive on August 9.
A list of affected stations and routes involving each of the bus drivers can be found on the OC Transpo website.
The last time an Ottawa transit employee tested positive for the virus was all the way back in May.
OC Transpo says in the update that they work with Ottawa Public Health to perform contact tracing for anyone who might have been in contact with the drivers.
They then follow up with anyone who might have had close contact with those individuals, including other OC Transpo employees.
Specific vehicles and facilities are then identified and given a more thorough and deep sanitization process than normal.
OPH notes that the 48 hours prior to when a person starts to show symptoms are key dates.
"Our case management team leads a comprehensive investigation prior to publicly reporting an outbreak, if applicable," A spokesperson from Ottawa Public Health told CTV News.
"Investigating suspect outbreaks is a significant part of our outreach work and not all investigative efforts result in declared outbreaks."
Ottawa recently saw a large spike in its COVID-19 cases due to several parties.