15 MRT depot workers positive for COVID-19

OLD NORMAL’’ UNDER ‘‘NEW NORMAL’’ Long lines form at the MRT Shaw Boulevard station due to the limited number of passengers allowed in every station to maintain social distancing. —RICHARD A. REYES

Commuters taking the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 need not panic even as 15 maintenance workers for the train system have been found infected with the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) made the confirmation on Thursday, more than two weeks after Edsa’s main railway finally resumed operations with Metro Manila placed under general community quarantine. The workers are employed by Sumitomo-Mitsubishi-TESP, the MRT 3’s maintenance provider.

All of them are based at the railway’s depot station on North Avenue, with the DOTr assuring the public that they have had no interactions with MRT 3 passengers.

MRT 3 director for operations Michael Capati also said that there was very little contact between depot workers and station personnel manning the passenger platforms.

The first worker was found positive on June 14 through a swab test, the DOTr said in a statement. It was unclear, however, where he could have gotten the virus.

Of the 32 personnel identified to have contact with him, 14 were confirmed to be positive also through swab testing.

All depot personnel of the MRT 3 are scheduled to undergo rapid antibody testing as a precautionary measure, the DOTr added.

Those found positive will be asked to undergo confirmatory tests and go on self-quarantine while waiting for the results.

“We have been conducting disinfection in the depot, at stations and in trains. We will continue to implement these and other measures to contain the spread of the virus in our workplace, stations and trains,” Capati said.

He added that they would be implementing additional health and safety protocols to further limit the interaction between depot and station personnel.

“We have the best interest of our passengers and employees at heart. We want to immediately address the situation to prevent more people from contracting the disease,” Capati said.