A Long Beach Transit bus driver has tested positive for COVID-19, the agency announced Wednesday evening.
The employee, who was not identified, has reportedly not worked with transit riders since April 11. Long Beach Transit officials said they do not believe the driver contracted the virus at work, according to Michael Gold, Long Beach Transit’s public information officer.
Information about when the employee tested positive was not released, but Gold said transit officials learned of the results on Tuesday.
“As the safety of customers and employees is a top agency priority, LBT does not believe the employee had any close contact with the public while infected,” Gold said. “Other LBT employees that may have come in contact with said employee have been notified. The LBT employee has not been on the job since April 11 and it is believed that they did not contract COVID-19 while performing their job duties.”
Long Beach Transit upgraded its cleaning process on March 5 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bus operator compartments, panels, doors, handrails, interior window frames, pull cords, seats, stanchions and fare collection devices are cleaned with disinfectants, according to Gold.
All Long Beach Transit bus operators have gloves and masks to wear while operating vehicles, and customers have been asked to wear masks and distance themselves from each other while on the buses. Some other cities, like nearby Carson, have gone further and suspended bus service.
Overall, Long Beach has announced 27 coronavirus-related deaths and 489 COVID-19 cases. It’s unclear if the bus driver is included in that number, which only represents Long Beach residents.