SMRT bus captain tests positive for Covid-19. Health of commuters and staff ‘top priority’, says company

SINGAPORE — An SMRT bus captain has been confirmed to have Covid-19, the company said.

In a media statement on Thursday (April 2), SMRT said that the bus driver tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday, adding that he was last at work on Friday last week when he was plying the Service 972 route.

The service starts from Bukit Panjang bus interchange and makes it way through Orchard Road before returning to the interchange.

The company added that the driver's rest day was on Saturday after the Friday shift.

He felt unwell on Sunday and saw a doctor that day, making another visit to the clinic two days later this Tuesday. He was then taken to the hospital, SMRT said.

“He is currently warded and in a stable condition,” the transport operator said, adding that it is closely monitoring the driver’s condition and offering assistance to him and his family.

SMRT is also assisting the Ministry of Health in the contact tracing process.

“As a precautionary measure, we have advised our workforce to continue monitoring their health closely,” it said. The vehicles and premises where the driver had been in contact with have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, it added.

Mr Tan Kian Heong, president of SMRT Road Holdings, said: “We would like to assure commuters that all necessary precautions are being taken to safeguard the well-being of our commuters and staff.”

He also said that SMRT has stepped up its cleaning of high commuter touch points at its premises, facilities and vehicles since late January.

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