MRT-3 assures all station personnel free of COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — The Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3) management assured on Thursday that all its station personnel remains free of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after 127 depot workers were found to have contracted the disease.

“MRT-3 management has assured that all its station personnel remains COVID-19 free,” it said in a statement.

Of the 127 depot workers, 124 are employed by MRT-3’s maintenance service provider Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-TES Philippines, while the remaining three are railway staff members.

This is higher than the previously reported 92 cases among depot personnel as of Tuesday, according to Transportation Undersecretary for Rails Timothy John Bathan.

MRT-3 Director for Operations Michael Capati said the employees who tested positive for COVID-19 are now on a 14-day quarantine.

He also said that since they work at the depot, they “do not engage face-to-face with operations people.”

“Tespi (Sumitomo-MHI-TESP) will review their capacity and will advise MRT-3 for any reduced capacity by next week. All personnel is required to wear PPE (personal protective equipment), both depot and station personnel at the MRT-3 line,” he earlier said.

The first MRT-3 worker tested positive for COVID-19 on June 14 through a swab test, according to the Department of Transportation.

The MRT-3 also said it may operate with a reduced number of trains starting July 6 following this development.

GSG/MUF