[Newsmaker] Operation of Seoul city buses temporarily halted as drivers tested positive

Service on two Seoul city bus routes was temporarily halted Sunday afternoon after three drivers tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Two bus drivers were confirmed to have the virus on Sunday after having come into close contact with a co-worker who tested positive Friday, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. All three people work for Boseong Transportation.

Of some 192 Boseong employees and their family members who underwent testing, 189 tested negative.

Service was suspended for bus No. 5618 and bus No. 6512 -- those driven by the two drivers -- for about four hours and then resumed.

The company is in talks with the city government to adjust the buses’ operating schedules as the infected drivers are undergoing treatment and other drivers who had close contact with them are in self-isolation.

The driver who tested positive Friday was found to have driven a bus for eight hours after he went for testing Thursday. He began exhibiting symptoms Wednesday.

The city government didn’t classify passengers on the bus as close contacts of the driver.

“We didn’t categorize them into those who have had close contact with the driver because footage from the security camera on the bus showed that all passengers were wearing masks and they were keeping their distance from the driver,” said Park Yoo-mi, an official handling disease control at the city government office.

The two buses run through southwestern Seoul.

No. 6512 connects major subway stations in the region such as Seoul National University Station in Gwanak-gu, Sillim Station in Gwanak-gu and Guro Digital Complex Station in Guro-gu.

No. 5618 runs through Garibong-dong and Daerim-dong, Guro-gu, as well as Singil-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu. It also runs past Yeouido Full Gospel Church.

By Park Han-na (hnpark@heraldcorp.com)