PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Pigeon Forge Mass Transit System has shut down temporarily after employees tested positive for COVID-19, according to City Administrator Earlene Teaster.
“We just felt like it was a good thing because of our visitation that we not only protect our visitors, but we protect our employees, as well as their families,” Teaster explained.
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She said the trolleys had been running on a shortened winter schedule with less staff. Out of about 30 employees including administrative staff members, Teaster said roughly 10-12 were either in quarantine or out sick.
“We can’t control what they do,” she said. “They do very great with the CDC guidelines while they are at work and while they’re certainly driving the trolley and so forth, but you never know who you’re exposed to after work or at work for that reason.”
Teaster said the trolleys will be cleaned while they are not in use.
“During this two weeks, we will just clean from top to bottom in the trolley barn where they’re parked, each trolley, and then, of course, the administrative offices, and do just a real deep, thorough cleaning,” she explained.
Her hope is that the employees who are out sick will recover and come back to work. The goal is to resume services on December 16 at 8 a.m.