Covid 19 Coronavirus: Northern Express Bus Driver Tests Positive

A Northern Express bus driver tested positive for Covid-19.

Ritchies director Andrew Ritchie confirmed that a driver had tested positive and that health officials were using the HOP card system to help track those who had been on the buses he was driving.

Northern Express buses carry passengers from Auckland’s North Shore to the city center and back.

Auckland Transport confirmed that there were 319 passengers who traveled on the service during the two days between Hibiscus Coast / Albany and Auckland city center.

The company’s other drivers had been tested since positive and all had tested negative thus far, although some results were yet to come, he said.

The buses were cleaned every day, but those driven by the man who tested positive had been pulled off the road for a deep cleaning.

Ritchie said the driver was last at work two to three days ago and was now isolated.

He did not believe that passengers were likely to be affected, as the front of the bus where the driver sits was blocked and passengers now had to enter through the back door.

Auckland Transport was working with public health officials to identify passengers on the buses he was driving as a precaution, he said.

Auckland Regional Public Health said there were no close contacts from the Sept. 3-4 bus trips between 5.30 am-1pm and 4-6.15pm The driver was symptom-free at the time and was also wearing a mask.

There were no cash transactions and passengers used AT HOP cards. Staff driving the bus after the case were asked to be tested and CCTV footage from the bus station is being reviewed to determine if other staff members are close contacts, Auckland Regional Public Health said.

The case was linked to the existing Auckland group and the bus driver did not contract Covid-19 while working.

Anyone riding the bus with the driver at those times was a casual contact, with a low risk of developing the virus. They didn’t have to isolate themselves, but they should get tested if they developed symptoms of Covid-19.

Auckland Regional Public Health Service said the case highlighted the importance of all public transport passengers scanning QR codes with the NZ Covid Tracer app, in addition to swiping their AT HOP cards, as it provided another way to alert people when they may have been exposed to COVID-19.

Bus travel

Thursday, September 3 and Friday, September 4

05:40 am – Albany Station to Britomart (Lower Albert St) (05:40 – 06:06)
06:15 am – Britomart (Lower Albert St) to Hibiscus Coast Station (06:15 – 06:59)
07:15 am – Hibiscus Coast Station to Britomart (Lower Albert) AM Peak (07:15 – 08:00)
08:42 am – Hibiscus Coast Station to Britomart (Lower Albert) AM Peak (08:42 – 09:26)
11:05 am – Hibiscus Coast Station to Britomart (Lower Albert St) (11:05 – 11:48)
11:55 am – Britomart (Lower Albert St) to Albany Station (11:55 – 12:24)
12:30 pm – Albany Station to -Britomart (Lower Albert St) (12:30 – 12:58)
16:04 pm – Britomart (Lower Albert St) to Albany Stn (16:04 – 16:36)
4:43 pm – Albany Station to Britomart (Lower Albert St) (4:43 – 5:15 pm)
17:37 pm – Britomart (Lower Albert St) to Albany Station (17:37 – 18:13)
– Due to construction in the city center capital, the Britomart (Lower Albert St) pick-up point for the NX service is at Customs St.