Santa Barbara MTD bus driver tests positive for COVID-19

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District confirms that one of their employees tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday afternoon.

The employee was working as a bus driver when they began feeling unwell after work on Friday.

The bus driver has started self-isolating.

This is the second confirmed case of COVID-19 for MTD.

The first MTD employee to test positive for COVID-19 was an operation supervisor, they were tested positive in early July. The employee has since recovered and has returned to work.

MTD says the bus driver wore a mask throughout their shift.

MTD says they have conducted a thorough contact tracing and to the company's knowledge the bus driver was not in close contact with other employees or members of the public.

MTD has identified and notified other employees who may have used the same equipment or vehicles as the positive tested bus driver.

The bus driver who tested positive drove the following routes for the 48 hours prior to becoming symptomatic:

• Thursday, September 3
  • Line 23 (El Encanto Heights) from 5:50 a.m. to 6:10 a.m.
  • Line 11 (UCSB) from 6:10 a.m. to 7:28 a.m.
  • Line 6 (Goleta) from 7:30 a.m. to 8:23 a.m.
  • Lines 1 & 2 (West SB & East SB) from 10:40 a.m. until 3:25 p.m.

• Friday, September 4
  • Line 23 (El Encanto Heights) from 5:50 a.m. to 6:10 a.m.
  • Line 11 (UCSB) from 6:10 a.m. to 7:28 a.m.
  • Line 6 (Goleta) from 7:30 a.m. to 8:23 a.m.
  • Lines 1 & 2 (West SB & East SB) from 10:40 a.m. until 3:25 p.m.

Unit numbers of buses driven: 624, 900, 901, 910

MTD encourages any passengers who may have rode on the routes listed above to monitor themselves for possible symptoms and to contact their healthcare provider if any symptoms develop.

MTD has enhanced cleaning protocols that have been implemented since early March. These protocols include nightly disinfecting of all high-touch surfaces in buses with a hospital-grade disinfectant.

MTD says they will not share personally identifiable information of employees or customers out of respect for individual privacy and in keeping with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) protections.