16th Port Authority employee tests positive for coronavirus

Another Allegheny County Port Authority bus driver tested positive for covid-19, bringing the agency’s total number of employees who tested positive to 16, agency officials said.

The employee, who works at the Collier garage, last drove a Port Authority bus June 24 and has been recovering at home. Officials believe the employee contracted the virus while traveling out of state.

When officials learned of the positive test, a maintenance crew deep-cleaned the garage and the buses the employee most recently drove. An outside company will sanitize the facility.

This is the first case at the Collier garage. A large majority of the cases have come from the West Mifflin garage.

Riders are reminded that masks are required when boarding and riding vehicles and at the downtown service center. Vehicle capacity limits are in place to promote social distancing.

Starting this week, officials will provide weekly updates on coronavirus cases at portauthority.org/coronavirus.

The authority has more than 2,600 employees, including 1,300 drivers and 800 mechanics.

More than 100 Port Authority employees are absent from work because of preexisting health conditions, precautionary self-quarantine or other coronavirus-related issues.