Second Metro Bus Driver Dies After Contracting COVID-19
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority confirmed Wednesday that a second bus driver has died after contracting COVID-19.
The agency did not immediately disclose the driver's name or gender, but said the employee had worked for 22 years at Metro Bus Division 2, a bus yard at 15th and San Pedro streets in downtown Los Angeles.
According to the Los Angeles Times, coworkers said the driver's most recent route was Line 611, though Cudahy and Huntington Park. They also said the driver was soft-spoken and known for playing chess in the break room.
Additional details about the driver, including the date of death, were not immediately disclosed.
This is the second bus driver to die after contracting the illness; the first death was reported in June. A contract security guard died in April from the illness.
According to Metro, there have been a total of 343 confirmed coronavirus cases among Metro employees, contractors and vendors.
All transit riders are required to wear face coverings while on Metro buses and subways, and officials said the agency was continuing to work closely with public health officials to monitor the pandemic and implement safety protocols.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
