With great sadness, Metro today reports that an agency employee has died of complications from COVID-19.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends and coworkers of our close Metro family member,” said Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington. “This is a heartbreaking day for all Metro employees as we continue to face this grave public health threat. Our bus operators and frontline employees have, and will continue, to heroically serve the public by providing essential travel.”
The bus operator was assigned to Metro Division 13 in downtown Los Angeles and last worked in mid-May and was confirmed to have the virus on June 2.
Out of respect for the privacy of individuals and their families, Metro does not reveal the identities of employees who have tested positive for COVID-19. Metro continues to work closely with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to closely monitor the coronavirus pandemic and to implement all safety recommendations for employees, contractors and the transit system.
Metro will continue to closely monitor, and record confirmed positive cases throughout the agency. To date, there have been 100 confirmed cases among employees, contractors and vendors and two deaths; a contract security guard died April 13. Metro reminds the public that all riders are required to wear face coverings to help prevent spread of the virus.
For a list of confirmed Metro COVID-19 cases, please visit https://www.metro.net/about/about-metro/metro-tracks-covid-19-cases/.
Categories: Transportation Headlines
This unfortunate driver could have gotten Covid 19 while at the grocery or other places outside his job, or even gotten infected from other people he/she had come in contact outside the job or the virus managed to infect this person becasuse it is so easy to forget to wash our hands just the ONE time or continually keep up the never ending chore of keeping sufaces clean or sanitized with Covid 19 everywhere, not just at our jobs at the MTA. The call for hazard pay is based on assumptions, and considering the changes made to isolate to some fair degree many MTA empolyees, the likelyhood of MTA emplyees getting infected while on the job would be less than leaving the barriers and going out into the unproteced real-world outside of MTA employment. We simply do not know how this employee got infected, and we won’t know until we have tracking technology that tracks where we are and when, not assumptions based on no evidence. Trackikng provides the evidence.
I suggest those who are serious about hazard pay waste no time in sending in your contributions to fund hazard pay and set-up a funding page so others can also contributeand do something that has results instead of doing nothing, if one is truly concerned about hazard pay and getting money in the hands of MTA employees. What are you waiting for?
I’m doing the orange line the bus every trip from north hollywood is overload .
A lot of rider they don’t cover their face no social distance of course no respect no hazard pay at least if we get infected of the covid 19 can survive.
Metro must take action asap for their called heroes driver
I rode the B line subway from east Hollywood to 7th Metro station and there were some young fools not wearing face masks.
No hazard pay to drivers , passengers on board don’t wear mask, no security or law enforcement enforcing passengers to wear a mask , Mta is essential , every MTA needs that hazard pay. The loss of the employee is sad that employees feel the pain. Metro sees it as lost of an employee number and needs to be replaced ASAP.
I’m afraid no hazard pay. I think they feel they are doing you a favor by giving you a job. They are so concern about your employment. (Sarcasm)
Drivers should have full Hazmat Suits Head Covering with Shields protecting their Face because you should Protect all Drivers so they can return Home to their Families.
I take 3 buses Line 45 from south LA , then I take The silver to Downtown LA, Metro Red Line to universal city Station and finally , either line 150 ,240. I have witnessed for 3 months straight people being careless of the situation, and I have never heard the bus driver enforce or at least suggest face covering during the travel or point it out as something must be done while riding with others. I am essential worker since day one the pandemia started till now . I suggest this , please clean and sanitize Metro red line especially late night that’s when homeless and drug users gathers and use them as refugee traveling back and forth . I rely on Metro everyday since 2001, and I wanna feel safe and protected while I ride work and home . Thank you
And still no hazard pay!!!!