Bangkok bus driver death sparks Covid-19 infection fears

Bangkok bus driver death sparks Covid-19 infection fears

A bus driver has died of Covid-19, the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) said on Monday, sparking criticism that the agency had concealed the information at the expense of passenger safety.

BMTA director Surachai Iamwachirasakul said the bus driver, who drove on Route 140, had died of the coronavirus on Sunday night at Phra Pinklao Hospital.

The driver, who ran a high temperature on April 3, was tested for the virus and advised to stay at home.

The following day, the driver's test came back positive and she was admitted to Phra Pinklao Hospital, according to the BMTA.

Route 140 runs between Samae Dam in Bang Khunthian district and Victory Monument.

The woman drove bus No.5-90019 before falling ill, according to Mr Surachai. He advised passengers who rode that bus on April 1 to contact a doctor if they showed any symptoms of the coronavirus.

The air-conditioned bus is a white, Chinese-made vehicle powered by a Kinglong engine.

The Bangkok Bus Club, which monitors BMTA bus issues, posted a Facebook message saying that the driver was female and had worked the morning shift.

It questioned why the BMTA had withheld information about her illness instead of immediately alerting the public after it was confirmed on April 4 that she had in fact contracted Covid-19.

Mr Surachai said the bus had been sanitised and temporarily withdrawn from service.

Eighteen people who were in close contact with the driver have been quarantined and thus far remain asymptomatic.

The BMTA has likewise asked anyone who travelled on the bus from 7am to 10am on April 1 to closely monitor their health and seek medical care if they develop flu-like symptoms.

The bus agency has stressed that all the buses are frequently cleaned and disinfected as part of measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

But social media users backed the Bangkok Bus Club's complaint that important information had been withheld from the public.

Responding to the allegations, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said yesterday he has ordered BMTA director Surachai to investigate whether any attempts had been made to cover up the Covid-19 case.

"I've told the BMTA director to look into the facts and see when the patient sought testing and if the BMTA was officially informed of the result. If not, it's a cover-up," said Mr Saksayam.

Citing initial information from the bus agency, Mr Saksayam reiterated those who came into contact with the patient have been put into quarantine for 14 days.

The BMTA has also been instructed to alert passengers about the driver's infection and death so that they will be informed of their potential risk of coronavirus exposure.

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