The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority confirmed Wednesday that a second bus driver has died after contracting COVID-19.
Metro spokesman Dave Sotero told City News Service the agency would not disclose the name or gender of the driver who died, but the employee had 22 years of experience with Metro's bus Division 2, a bus yard at 15th and San Pedro streets in downtown Los Angeles.
The driver's most recent route was Line 611, through Cudahy and Huntington Park, coworkers who were not authorized to speak publicly told the Los Angeles Times. They said he was a soft-spoken man known for playing chess in the break room on a green-and-white checkered board, according to The Times.
Additional details about the driver, including the date of death, were not immediately available.
This is the second bus driver for Metro to die from the novel coronavirus.
"We extend our deepest sympathies to the family of our bus operator, a long-time Metro employee who faithfully served the public for more than two decades," Metro CEO Phillip Washington in a statement to The Times. "We are greatly saddened by this loss as this pandemic continues to tear away the normalcy of our daily lives."
Another bus operator, assigned to Metro Division 13 in downtown Los Angeles, tested positive for the virus and died in June, and a contract security guard died in April after contracting the virus.
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To date, there have been 343 confirmed coronavirus cases among Metro employees, contractors and vendors, as well as three deaths.
All transit riders are required to wear face coverings to help prevent spread of the virus, and Metro officials said the agency continues to work closely with public health officials to monitor the pandemic and implement safety recommendations.
A list of confirmed Metro COVID-19 cases can be found at
www.metro.net/about/about-metro/metro-tracks-covid-19-cases/.
