Bartow Buses Shut Down After Workers Test Positive For COVID-19

CARTERSVILLE, GA — Bartow County’s buses will be out of commission until at least next Friday after four employees tested positive for COVID-19.

All buses and transit facilities are being sanitized, and all employees are being tested for the coronavirus, according to transit director Weldon Dudley.

In fact, Dudley told Patch, his department already had been careful to follow best health practices by wearing masks and gloves, restricting some bus seats and using plenty of sanitizer.

But after one transit employee had to be hospitalized for COVID-19, the rest of the department was tested. Three employees came up positive but without obvious symptoms.

Dudley said he decided to shut down the buses for now “in an abundance of caution” because many of Bartow County’s bus riders are medically at risk.

The coronavirus already had put a dent in the system’s ridership, which some days was down as much as 80 percent from pre-pandemic levels.

Dudley said he’ll re-evaluate the situation next Friday and decide then whether to run buses again.

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