Metro Rail Transit 3 (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ EDWIN BACASMAS)
MANILA, Philippines — Thirty-six office personnel of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) depot in Quezon City and six personnel from the railway’s maintenance service provider Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have tested positive for Covid-19.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said all office personnel of the MRT-3 depot were subjected to swab test early last week following an initial case of Covid-19 among the staff at the depot.
The DOTr said the tests yielded 33 positive cases of Covid-19 among the personnel as of January 20.
“As of January 27, 3 additional positive cases were reported, leading to a total of 36 cases among DOTr-MRT3 Office Personnel at the MRT-3 Depot,” the DOTr said in a statement Wednesday night.
“Meanwhile, there remains zero (0) reported COVID-19 cases among MRT-3 stations personnel, and six (6) reported cases among MRT-3’s Maintenance Service Provider, Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,” it added.
Contact tracing was immediately conducted after the first case was reported and all personnel who have tested positive for Covid-19 are already in quarantine, the DOTr said.
MRT-3 depot office personnel have shifted to a work from home arrangement as of last week, with only a limited number of essential office personnel reporting physically at work after obtaining a negative swab test result.
“This is alongside continuing access control in the MRT-3 Depot, with all entering personnel being subjected to health screening prior to entry,” the DOTr said.
“With COVID-19 cases being reported almost entirely from DOTr-MRT3 Office Personnel at the MRT-3 Depot, MRT-3 operations continue, with the continuing observance by Stations Personnel of health and safety procedures intended to address the risk of transmission among the riding public,” the department added.
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