Second St. John's area GoBus employee tests positive for COVID-19

A second employee of the St. John's area para-transit system GoBus has tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19.

"Another employee has tested positive for the virus," said Jeff Womack,spokesperson for MV Transportation, GoBus's parent company, on Monday

"The initial employee [who tested positive] was not in a rider-facing role [a driver] but we really have a small facility there, so that's why out of an abundance of caution we put everybody on quarantine because regardless of their role they all come in contact with each other there."

Womack said the second GoBus employee who tested positive for the virus isalso not a driver. He said both of the employees who tested positive for the virus would have had some contact with drivers.

Womack also said GoBus employees will notcontinue to be paid while GoBus is not operating.

"For the 14 days it's classified as emergency closing so they will not be paid although they will be eligible to use unused vacation days or sick leave rather than taking unpaid leave," he said.

Womack said the first employee to test positive was contacted by N.L. public health officers March 22 and began self-isolation. The employee told the company about the diagnosis March 25.

Fifty-four GoBus employees remain in self-isolation.

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