Palace to public: Get tested, undergo quarantine if had contact with infected MRT-3 personnel

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Tuesday appealed to passengers of Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) to undergo quarantine and get tested for COVID-19 if they think they had any contact with personnel positive for coronavirus.

There are so far 198 MRT-3 personnel who tested positive for coronavirus. Of the number, 15 are ticket sellers, three are train drivers, two control center personnel, one is a nurse while 177 others are depot personnel.

“Inaasahan naman po natin na kung kayo po’y sumakay ng MRT, siguro kami na po ang nananawagan, kung pupuwede po, kung kayo ay nagkaroon ng physical contact doon sa mga nagbebenta although meron po tayong polisiya na dapat no cash at minimum contact, pero kung kayo po’y somehow nagkaroon ng contact, e kayo na po ang mag-quarantine dahil hindi na po natin malalaman kung sino kayo,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing.

(We are expecting that if you rode the MRT, we are appealing that if you had physical contact with the ticket sellers, though there are a no-cash and minimum contact policy, to undergo quarantine because we can no longer know who you are.)

“Kung kayo po’y merong sintomas, puwede po kayo magpa-PCR [polymerase chain reaction] test dahil kasama naman po yan sa guidelines ng DOH [Department of Health], yung sintomas at kung kayo ay nagkaroon ng exposure. Babayaran naman po yan ng PhilHealth,” he added.

(If you experience any symptom, you may undergo a PCR test because that’s included in the DOH guidelines — if you have symptoms and you had an exposure. This will be shouldered by PhilHealth anyway.)

MRT-3 suspended operations due to the increase of its employees infected with COVID-19.

Its management identified the station and shift of ticket sellers positive for COVID-19 as the following:

• North Avenue: 1 p.m. – 11 p.m.; 4:30 p.m. – 2:30 a.m.
• Quezon Avenue: 1 p.m. – 11 p.m.
• GMA-Kamuning: 4:30 p.m. – 2:30 a.m.
• Cubao: 1 p.m. – 11: p.m.; 4:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

JPV