Possible John Wayne Airport coronavirus case is cleared; tower reopens

By Hillary DavisStaff Writer

March 28, 2020 7:30 PM PT

The air-traffic control tower at John Wayne Airport reopened Saturday after an employee with a possible case of the COVID-19 coronavirus tested negative for the illness.

The tower closed Friday as a precaution for “cleaning and quarantine” after a control manager showed a presumptive positive test result Thursday, officials said. Further testing Friday came back negative.

The air-traffic facility is now operating normally.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s regional control center in San Diego handled John Wayne’s traffic during the closure.

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Hillary Davis

Hillary Davis covered the city of Newport Beach for the Daily Pilot until she left in August 2020. She joined the Pilot in February 2017 after spending 10 years reporting for newspapers across Arizona, where she was a six-time finalist for the Arizona Press Club’s Community Journalist of the Year. She earned a master’s degree in mass communication from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Arizona.

Possible John Wayne Airport coronavirus case is cleared; tower reopens

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