RICHMOND, Va. – A ninth employee has tested positive for COVID-19 since March, the transit company announced on Monday.
The bus driver who tested positive is likely connected to case six, officials say.
GRTC officials say the bus driver last worked on May 27.
The GRTC says the employee is currently being quarantined and all contacts are being contacted, quarantined, and tested in accordance with guidance from VDH.
GRTC hosted their first voluntary, on-site COVID-19 testing event for GRTC and First Transit employees on Monday.
The COVID-19 testing was be conducted by SecureHealth, a regionally owned and operated urgent care provider, with up to 200 tests possible per testing day.
All COVID-19 testing is free for GRTC employees.
COVID-19 Confirmed Staff Cases To Date:
1st Case: Reported April 6. Employee has recovered and is back at work.
False 2nd Case: Reported April 29, but later determined on May 6 with secondary testing to be a false-positive. Employee, a bus Operator, was cleared by the Virginia Department of Health and is back at work.
Actual 2nd Case: Initial results reported to GRTC on May 3 as an asymptomatic positive test. Secondary test results received on May 6 confirmed the positive result. Employee was on paid sick leave starting on the initial test date of May 2 and remains on paid sick leave. Employee is a recent hire and has not been involved in public bus service. Employee remains asymptomatic and on leave.
3rd Case: Initial results reported to GRTC on May 2 as negative test. The GRTC employee, a bus Operator, exhibited asthma symptoms on May 7, was relieved from duty to receive medical attention, was re-tested and was reported positive for COVID-19. Employee was treated in a local hospital due to complications from underlying health conditions but is now in recovery.
4th Case: Initial results reported May 6 as an asymptomatic positive test. The employee, a bus Operator, has been on paid sick leave since May 6. Secondary test results were received the afternoon of May 8 and confirmed the positive results. The employee was treated overnight at a local hospital and released. The employee is in recovery.
5th Case: Potential contact with 3rd Case noted May 7. The employee, a bus Operator, has been on paid sick leave since May 8, was tested, and confirmed positive for COVID-19 on May 13. The employee is in recovery.
6th Case: The employee, a bus Operator, was tested on Sunday, May 24 after experiencing mild symptoms starting on Saturday, May 23. The positive test result was returned on Tuesday, May 26. The employee has not been at work since Monday, May 18 and is not suspected to have contracted COVID-19 while on duty. Employee currently has mild symptoms and is quarantined at home.
7th Case: Confirmed May 27. Case 7 is a part-time bus Operator who has not been at work since May 20. Case 7 is currently quarantined.
8th Case: Confirmed May 30. The employee, a bus Operator, was traced by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) as a likely connection to Case 7. The last time the Operator was on duty was May 27. All identified likely contacts with Cases 7 and 8 are being contacted, quarantined, and tested in accordance with guidance from VDH. Case 8 is currently quarantined.
9th Case: Confirmed June 1. The employee, a bus Operator, is likely connected to Case 6. The last time the Operator was on duty was May 27. Case 9 was tested on May 28 and received results June 1. Case 9 is currently quarantined.