WASHINGTON — At least two D.C. Circulator employees have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a spokesperson.
Rapt Dev, the company that staffs the D.C. Circulator, said buses are being cleaned regularly following proper protocols.
However, at least one driver is still worried.
"This is a virus that can kill you," Joyce Boone said. "Why aren't y'all quarantining these facilities?"
Boone, who works as a D.C. Circulator bus operator, wants more to be done after her coworkers tested positive for the coronavirus.
"They cleaned the room, took the chair that he was sitting in, threw some water on it, and then put it back in the facility," she claimed.
Boone believes D.C. Circulator buildings and buses are not being disinfected properly and social distancing guidelines are not being strictly followed.
She said the conditions have forced employees, like her, to stay home.
"I'm not going to work because I don't believe these people have cleaned the facilities enough… to keep me from contracting the virus," Boone told WUSA9.
The D.C. Circulator operates under D.C.'s Department of Transportation, but it is staffed by a company called Ratp Dev.
A spokesperson for Ratp Dev and the D.C. Circulator confirmed two employees tested positive for COVID-19.
The workers who have the coronavirus are both supervisors who work in the main office. Neither employee had contact with passengers and each of them self-quarantined.
The company also confirmed bus operators are allowed in the main building, and Boone explained drivers enter the building every day.
"They come back with ‘we cleaning the facility.’ That facility needs to be shut down,” Boone said.
DDOT oversees maintenance of D.C Circulator buildings and buses.
DDOT Director Jeff Marootian in a statement said, "DDOT is working with RATP Dev, the contractor that operates and maintains the DC Circulator to ensure that the buses and facilities are following enhanced cleaning protocols to fight COVID-19. Facilities and buses are cleaned daily and sanitized weekly."
WUSA9 asked DDOT what the daily and weekly cleaning includes, and a spokesperson responded after this story was published with the following statement from Director Marootian:
"All DC Circulator buses are cleaned daily, which includes interior wiping of all surfaces, cleaning of floors and windows, wiping of seats, and the operators' seating area. Each bus is sanitized, further deep clean and disinfected, at least 4 to 5 times a week on rotation.
All DC Circulator garages are cleaned daily, which includes trash removal, vacuum, and mopping, as well as, cleaning surfaces. All facilities are deep cleaned and sanitized once a week . All staff including operators have been provided wipes to clean their individual workspaces. Once a positive case has been identified among staff, that particular facility is fumigated. The last fumigation at the 17th Street Facility took place on 4.17.2020."
The Rapt Dev and D.C. Circulator spokesperson added, "There is no indication the infected employees contracted COVID-19 while at this work location," and there are "no concerns that the virus may be spread to the riding public."
Boone fears there have been exposure risk among D.C. Circulator employees and believes the company is not taking the situation seriously enough.
"Do we not matter? They were loyal enough to come to work. Then, you won’t even protect them putting these buildings in quarantine and demanding that they stay home," Boone told WUSA9.
Dr. Linda Nabha, who is unaffiliated with the D.C. Circulator or DDOT, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that if the individual is asymptomatic, that the individual should be:
- Prescreened daily to asses for temperature and upper respiratory symptoms
- Wear a mask for 14 days after the exposure
- Remain 6 feet from other individuals
- Keep any common areas disinfected on a regular basis and after use
- Not share any head gear or other types of similar equipment
"If the individual is sick, then they must be sent home immediately, and areas be disinfected," Nabha said.
Rapt Dev’s leave policy explains how employees who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or mandated to quarantine can still receive compensation.
The policy requires employees to uses sick and vacation leave and gives options for longer term leave.
The D.C. Circulator is currently operating on a reduced schedule with modified service.
The District suspended fares on all routes in March and requested passengers enter buses through the rear door.