For the third time in five days, the City of Barrie has announced one of its transit drivers has tested positive for COVID-19
The city issued a news release this afternoon alerting people to the positive test "out of an abundance of caution."
The city was notified Wednesday that the Barrie Transit operator received a positive COVID-19 test result today. The bus operator is following public health directions and isolating.
According to the release, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has indicated it does not consider this to be a workplace outbreak at this time.
“Barrie Transit continues to do everything we can to ensure a safe environment for our riders and employees,” Brent Forsyth, the city's director of transit and parking strategy, says in the news release. “We wish the affected driver well and hope they are feeling better soon.”
City officials also say all buses are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized after service each day and receive additional mid-day sanitization to further improve safety measures.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Barrie Transit says it has taken extra precautions to keep employees and riders safe and continues to follow the direction of the health unit. These measures include:
• plexiglass shield around the driver
• at least six feet of space between the driver and the first seat on the bus
• enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of vehicles
• requirement for masks in public areas
• hand sanitizers on all vehicles
• capacity limitations to support physical distancing
• active screening of all employees completed on a daily basis
• protocols in place that eliminates the requirement for physical contact between drivers and riders
The city says Barrie Transit staff wear a mask or face covering when working in the public areas of the indoor public space unless the staff member is within or behind a physical barrier or is in an area of the premises that is not designated for public access.
The drivers do not have to wear masks as they are separated from the public by plexiglass shields installed on buses. They do need to wear masks if they exit the driver seat/plexiglass area to secure a wheelchair/mobility device, or enter the public area of the vehicle.
