A GoTriangle bus driver, who drove a bus for three days while sick, has tested positive for COVID-19, Wake County said in a press release.

The driver operated the bus from March 18 to March 20, while experiencing coronavirus symptoms. The driver worked two shifts from 5:25 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. and 3:05 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The driver worked on Route 300, traveling between the Regional Transit Center in Durham, the Cary train station and the GoRaleigh station at Moore Square in downtown Raleigh; and Route 305, traveling between Apex at Lake Pine Drive and Waverly Place and the GoRaleigh station.

“Because the bus driver came to work for three days while symptomatic, it’s possible bus riders or other GoTriangle employees were exposed to the virus,” Wake County Medical Director Dr. Kim McDonald said in a news release. “The fluid nature of transit makes it impossible to determine who may have had close contact with the driver, so we’ve set up a hotline for concerned residents to call for guidance.”

People who work at GoTriangle or who rode on one of those routes during that timeframe are encouraged to isolate themselves for seven days if they begin to experience COVID-19 symptoms, such as fever, a cough, or difficulty breathing.

Once symptoms resolve, people are asked to remain at home without a fever for three more days.

“This situation illustrates perfectly why we ask people who are sick not to come to work,” McDonald said. “Staying at home and practicing social distancing are critical to slowing the spread of COVID-19 and protecting the health and safety of our residents.”

Wake County offers tips on how to protect yourself from coronavirus.

People with mild symptoms will not be tested. If serious illness develops, you should call your primary care provider. If you have trouble breathing, you should call 9-1-1.

Drivers have sick leave

It is unclear why the driver worked while symptomatic. GoTriangle has not released the driver’s name or gender.

GoTriangle bus drivers do have benefits that include paid sick time, said Burgetta Wheeler, a spokesperson for GoTriangle. However, they were not required to use it if they had experienced COVID-19 symptoms.

“...in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we made sure our bus operations team members knew that if they felt any of the recognized virus symptoms, they should contact their supervisors immediately and that they would not have to use any of their banked sick time or vacation time for a COVID-related absence,” Wheeler said in an email.

She added that on March 20, GoTriangle suspended fares and instituted rear-door boarding to put distance between bus drivers and riders.

This story was originally published March 30, 2020 at 8:43 PM.