VTA bus driver dies from COVID-19 - The Mercury News

Audrey Lopez, 53, was a San Jose resident who had been a VTA operator for more than 13 years, said John Courtney, the president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, which represents the agency’s drivers.

In a statement Thursday, VTA spokesman Ken Blackstone said, “We are providing grief counseling for employees and have reached out to the Lopez family with our deepest condolences.”.

Blackstone said she never reported to work while experiencing symptoms.

Blackstone said that’s because CDC contact tracing guidelines consider a person infectious up to two days before the start of symptoms, and Lopez fell ill three days after she had last reported to work.

Three of those workers are still recovering from the virus, he said, while 23 have returned to work.

A review of Lopez’s activity before her last day of work found she followed safety protocols and wore protective equipment, according to Blackstone, who said a third-party investigation found “absolutely no connection” between her infection and work driving for the agency.