A Halifax Transit bus driver has tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 508.
Union president Kenny Wilson confirmed the positive case to Global News on Wednesday. He said the driver has no connection to travel and is concerned it was the result of community spread.
Wilson said the driver felt “off” on Saturday, so he went and got tested and received the positive result on Wednesday.
“He said he felt odd. He goes, ‘I barely had a cold, barely had a sniffle, but I just didn’t feel myself, something didn’t feel right,” said Wilson.
Wilson said the employee last drove on both Friday and Saturday. On Friday he drove the 10 Dalhousie and on Saturday he drove both the 60 Eastern Passage and 62 Wildwood, according to Wilson.
“He’s in pretty good spirits,” said Wilson. “His wife’s a little concerned. They’re trying to figure out how he self-isolates in the same house.”
READ MORE: Halifax Transit employee tests positive for COVID-19
The municipality has confirmed that a bus driver tested positive for COVID-19.
In a statement, the municipality said that the driver had not been in the workspace since Saturday.
Since then, all workspaces and vehicles that the individual had contact with have already undergone cleanings, the municipality said.
Halifax Transit is working with Nova Scotia’s department of public health as it investigates and completes contact tracing to identify all those who have been in close contact with the infected bus driver.
Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health, addressed the issue at the provincial update on Wednesday.
“Just because a driver is a driver doesn’t mean he was exposed on the bus,” Strang said.
He said transit remains an essential service for many members of the community and that it will continue to operate.
Public health will contact those who must self-isolate and will need to be tested for COVID-19.
Last month, a Halifax Transit employee working in the Burnside Maintenance Department has tested positive for COVID-19.
The province announced 32 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the province’s total to 342.
With files from Alexander Quon
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.