Confirmed COVID-19 Case in Sejong City Bus Driver... Operation and Dispatch Adjusted on 5 Routes

A quarantine official is disinfecting a bus at a city bus garage. The photo is unrelated to the article. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy (Sejong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] A city bus driver in Sejong has tested positive, leading to adjustments in the operating hours and intervals of five local city bus routes.

According to Sejong City on the 16th, the infected driver, Mr. A, is believed to have contracted the virus through contact with a confirmed case from another region.

Mr. A was confirmed positive on the 13th and had operated the B2 route (Internal Circulation Auxiliary BRT) bus on the 11th and 12th before his diagnosis.

The city and Sejong Urban Transportation Corporation immediately identified employees who had contact with Mr. A upon his positive diagnosis, instructed them to self-quarantine and undergo testing, and conducted disinfection of all city buses and office spaces.

During this process, 26 city bus crew members were classified as close contacts. So far, no additional positive cases have been reported from COVID-19 tests. Furthermore, all passengers who boarded the bus driven by Mr. A were found to have worn masks, so passengers were not required to self-quarantine or undergo separate testing.

However, the city explained that adjusting city bus operating hours is inevitable until the crew members classified as close contacts complete their self-quarantine and return to work.

Provided by Sejong City

Accordingly, the city will temporarily suspend the currently pilot-operated B5 route, extend the interval of bus number 1004 from the current 15 minutes to 20 minutes, and adjust the intervals of routes 201, 203, and 221 within the new town area from 10 minutes to 15 minutes.

Kim Tae-oh, Director of the City Construction and Transportation Bureau, stated, “We will maintain an emergency communication system with the Transportation Corporation and do our best to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in the region. Any changes related to city bus operations will be promptly announced through various channels to minimize inconvenience to citizens.”