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Release Date: Feb. 1, 2021
Media Hot Line: 713.739.4040
METRO has received confirmation two bus operators, one officer in the METRO Police Department, an employee in the Facilities Maintenance Department and a First Transit contract driver for METROLift have tested positive for COVID-19. This brings the total number of cases to 463 METRO employees and 93 contractors since March 2020.
Two hundred twenty-three of the employees had no contact with the public. METRO tracks and reports all positive cases among its 4200 employees and the various contractors who provide services to METRO. We are also conducting temperature checks of employees and others before they begin their workday at METRO facilities or on our vehicles.
The first bus operator last worked Jan. 18 and in the two weeks prior, drove the following routes:
The second bus operator last worked Jan. 22 and in the two weeks prior, drove the following routes:
*The charts above reflect the days the operators were on duty two weeks prior to their last days on the job.
The MPD officer is assigned to the METRORail division and two weeks prior to testing positive was on duty Jan. 19-22, and 25-27.
The First Transit contract driver for METROLift provided services on Jan. 14-15, and 18-22. METROLift is an on-demand service and does not operate specific routes.
The maintenance employee last worked Jan. 25 and had no contact with the public.
Anyone who comes in contact with an individual who tests positive should monitor themselves for possible symptoms, contact your health care provider as soon as you develop any symptoms, and self-isolate to avoid possibly exposing others, including refraining from using public transportation.
METRO is working with public health officials so they can identify and notify anyone who traveled the routes driven by the bus operators during those time frames as well as anyone else who may have been impacted by the latest positive cases.
Since mid-March, 2020 METRO has sought to minimize the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission by operators or passengers by encouraging social distancing. On March 23, 2020 the agency temporarily suspended collecting fares to avoid unnecessary contacts. Shortly thereafter, orange mesh fencing was installed across the aisles of every local bus to assure appropriate distancing between operators and passengers.
More safety upgrades are also being added to buses, trains and METROLift vehicles. Operators and riders will now have access to hand sanitizer while on board and protective shields around drivers' seats will provide another layer of separation between operators and the public. Operators and riders are required to wear a face covering while on the system.
We appreciate and greatly value our riders. We have taken many actions, including working with the community at large, to “flatten the curve” of COVID-19. To prevent or minimize its transmission on the transit system, METRO asks all riders to use the system only for essential trips at this time, practice social distancing when you do ride transit (i.e., stand or sit at least 6 feet apart, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, wash your hands for 20 seconds before boarding transit and after deboarding, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, or cough or sneeze into your elbow, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, and stay home if you are sick). Additionally, riders should stand or sit no closer than six feet behind the driver.
METRO’s number one priority is protecting the health and safety of our customers, community and employees.
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