Positive coronavirus test for another TheBus operator

HONOLULU (KHON2) — A TheBus operator has tested positive for coronavirus, Oʻahu Transit Services, Inc. (OTS) confirmed today.

On Sunday, August 9, the operator informed OTS that a household member had tested positive for COVID-19 and was immediately placed on leave and quarantined.

According to OTS, the operator was tested for COVID-19 on Monday, August 10, and received a positive result the same day.

The operator’s last day of work was on Saturday, August 8. His routes included locations between Ewa Beach and Kalaeloa as shown in the table below.

Day/Date	Route#	Route	Bus #	Time
	415	Kapolei Transit – Kalaeloa	205	132p – 154p
	41	Kapolei – Ewa Beach	205	200p – 329p
	415	Kapolei Transit – Kalaeloa	205	329p – 356p
Saturday	41	Kapolei – Ewa Beach	205	400p – 533p
8/8/2020	415	Kapolei Transit – Kalaeloa	205	533p – 605p
	41	Kapolei – Ewa Beach	205	605p – 726p
	415	Kapolei Transit – Kalaeloa	205	726p – 748p
	41	Kapolei – Ewa Beach	205	800p – 919p

Upon notification, OTS began internal contact tracing and found no prolonged contact with any employees or customers which they credit to the mandatory face covering requirement that all staff and riders are subject to.

The vehicle driven by the operator has been thoroughly disinfected and cleaned.

TheBus has taken steps to reduce the risk of infection while riding or operating a transit vehicle. Plastic curtains have been installed on all buses to provide a barrier between drivers and passengers as they board. Seats closest to the operator have been made unavailable to provide greater space and extra buses have been added on busy routes to provide more area for physical separation. All buses and vans are disinfected daily by wiping down all touch surfaces manually with a strong anti-virus disinfectant and receive nightly disinfecting fogging using an electrostatic spraying system. All OTS employees are temperature checked daily.

The City continues to remind the public that only essential trips should be taken on public transit, and that wearing a face mask or covering while entering and riding on a bus or a TheHandi-Van is required.

Those sick or in poor health conditions are advised to stay at home and not ride public transit.