Officer Based Near Franconia-Springfield Has New Coronavirus

FRANCONIA, VA — A Metro Transit Police officer assigned to the police station near the Franconia-Springfield Metro tested positive for the new coronavirus, or COVID-19. According to The Washington Post, the positive result came Monday.

WTOP reported on a Metro memo regarding the officer, who lives in Prince George's County, Maryland. The officer had last worked Tuesday of last week and before feeling ill.

The positive COVID-19 result led to the Metro Transit Police District 2 station at Franconia-Springfield being closed for cleaning. A Metro spokesperson told The Post it could be open again later on Monday. Seven Metro Transit Police were asked to self-quarantine as a result of contact with the officer. Metro is looking into whether any further action is required from three calls the officer responded to.

According to The Post, the District 2 station has over 100 officers who work at the Metro Center, Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro stations as well as Metro's rail and bus lines to the south.

Metro began reducing service Monday in response to the COVID-19 situation. Trains operate every 12 minutes on each line weekdays and Saturdays. The service level for Sundays is every 15 minutes on each line. Buses will run on a Saturday supplemental schedule on weekdays, while weekend service has not changed. Metro says the reductions allow for additional disinfecting of rail cars and buses.

A Sunday tweet from Metro said its Pandemic Task Force is looking into more service reductions.

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