MRT 3 health protocols should be probed, results made public – Bayan

MANILA, Philippines — The health protocols of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) should be investigated amid the surge of coronavirus infections among its employees, activist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said on Tuesday.

Bayan Secretary-General Renato Reyes said on Tuesday the health protocols and the results of the probe should be made public to guide commuters, who may have come in contact with the employees, especially as 15 of the infected were identified as ticket sellers.

“It’s only fitting to do a thorough investigation of the COVID-19 outbreak within the MRT 3 and of the health and safety protocols of the agency.  This should be made public for the welfare of commuters,” Reyes said in Filipino

“This may be one of the highest number of COVID-19 cases recorded inside a government agency within a short period.  It’s only right to know the conditions inside the MRT-3 depot, including ticketing stations which could have caused the quick COVID-19 transmissions.,” he added.

Recently, the railway system, which runs along EDSA and traverses five busy Metro Manila cities, was shut down for five days due to the spike in the number of employees confirmed to have COVID-19.

As of Tuesday noon, there were 198 MRT 3 personnel with the coronavirus strain.

As its operations were temporarily stopped, MRT 3 vowed to conduct RT-PCR testing for all its personnel,l including maintenance providers and outsourced subcontractors to prevent COVID-19 from further spreading.

After quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila were eased, workers were allowed to go back to work, opening the MRT 3 and other rail systems in the country for use although in a limited capacity to allow physical distancing.

But even with the train systems, commuters have complained about the lack of transportation, saying that chartered buses, taxis, and transport network vehicle services were not enough.

/atm