15th Port Authority employee tests positive for coronavirus

Port Authority of Allegheny County on Thursday reported that another of its employees has tested positive for covid-19.

Fifteen employees have tested positive for the coronavirus since the first case was reported on March 26, spokesman Adam Brandolph said. This is the first case involving a Port Authority employee since May 5.

All employees who tested positive have recovered and were medically cleared to return to work, Brandolph said.

The latest employee is a bus driver who works out of the West Mifflin garage. The employee last drove a bus on Tuesday, and has been home recovering since then.

Brandolph said the employee had been traveling out of state prior to being diagnosed, and a contact tracing investigation is underway.

The Port Authority brought in a maintenance crew to deep clean the garage as well as the buses the driver most recently drove.

The agency has reached out to companies for bids to further sanitize the garage, Brandolph said.

The Port Authority earlier this week began testing an electronic temperature screening kiosk at the garage.

Use of the kiosk had previously been optional. Now all employees entering the facility will be required to use it for at least two weeks, Brandolph said.

The Port Authority employees more than 2,600 people, including 1,300 operators and 800 mechanics.

More than 100 of those employees are absent from work due to precautionary self-quarantine, pre-existing health conditions or other coronavirus-related issues, Brandolph said.