OTTAWA -- OC Transpo is advising the public that another driver has tested positive for COVID-19.

This comes after announcing on Monday that a driver who last worked in late July recently tested positive.

In a memo, Transportation Services General Manager John Manconi said this latest bus driver was last at work on Aug. 7. The driver began experiencing symptoms on Aug. 8 and has been isolating since then.

"We are working directly with Ottawa Public Health (OPH) and are conducting contact tracing of individuals who have, or may have been, in close contact with this employee," Manconi said. "OPH has advised that the key dates are the 48-hour period prior to the first day the employee showed symptoms; in this case the key dates are August 6-7."

Affected buses will be sanitized.

Here is a list of affected bus routes the driver was on Aug. 6 and 7:

August 6, 2020

  • Route 5 4:09 pm Laurier Station to Billings Bridge 4:45 pm
  • Route 19 5:09 pm Parliament to Montreal/Marier 5:41 pm
  • Route 5 6:10 pm Laurier to Billings Bridge 6:44 pm
  • Route 5 6:48 pm Billings Bridge to Laurier 7:22 pm
  • Route 5 7:26 pm Laurier to Billings Bridge 7:54 pm
  • Route 5 8:18 pm Billings Bridge to Laurier 8:49 pm
  • Route 5 8:55 pm Laurier to Billings Bridge 9:20 pm
  • Route 20 9:41 pm St. Laurent to Loyer 10:09 pm
  • Route 20 10:09 pm Loyer to St. Laurent 10:37 pm
  • Route 92 11:02 pm Hurdman to Greenboro 11:27 pm
  • Route 92 11:37 pm Greenboro to Hurdman 11:59 pm
  • Route 98 12:03 am Hurdman to Hunt Club 12:32 am

August 7, 2020

  • Route 19 7:32 pm Parliament to St. Laurent 8:06 pm
  • Route 18 8:38 pm Parliament to St. Laurent 9:14 pm
  • Route 18 9:22 pm St. Laurent to Parliament 9:59 pm 2
  • Route 18 10:38 pm Parliament to St. Laurent 11:14 pm
  • Route 18 11:22 St. Laurent to Parliament 11:59 pm

No known cases of COVID-19 linked to public transit: OPH

Ottawa Public Health says, to date, there are no known cases of COVID-19 in the community linked to public transit.

However, they say releases such as these from OC Transpo can aid in contact tracing efforts in other cases.

"Our case management team leads a comprehensive investigation prior to publicly reporting an outbreak, if applicable. OPH may at times rely on public notifications to reach a wider audience to support contact tracing efforts," An OPH spokesperson told CTV News in an email. "Investigating suspect outbreaks is a significant part of our outreach work and not all investigative efforts result in declared outbreaks."

Manconi said the release of this information is part of a framework developed with OPH, as public transit is a critical service.

"As part of OC Transpo's role in delivering a critical public service, we continue to notify Council and the public when an operator tests positive for COVID-19," Manconi said. "This protocol was developed with and endorsed by Ottawa Public Health. Our top priority is the safety of our customers and employees. We continue to work with OPH to assess and adjust our protocols to respond to this evolving situation."