The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) will temporarily suspend its operations starting today, July 7, due to the increasing number of personnel who have tested positive for COVID-19, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced. The total number of infected personnel has risen to 186 as of Sunday afternoon—169 are depot staff, 12 are personnel from the railway’s three stations, three are train drivers, and two are from the operations control center.
The temporary closure will be used to conduct a swab testing of all MRT-3 personnel, including those of its maintenance provider and subcontractors, and to stop the virus from infecting other personnel and commuters. To resume operations, the DOTr must confirm a sufficient number of COVID-19 negative personnel—meaning that the shutdown can either be shortened or extended depending on results of testing.
Out of MRT-3’s 3,200 employees, there must be at least 1,300 personnel who test negative in order for operations to resume. As of writing, 964 negative personnel are still needed.
The testing of the MRT-3 personnel will be conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) at the Palacio de Manila swabbing center. Those tested positive will immediately be sent to a quarantine facility and those negative will be part of the group who will continue operations once resumed.
The DOTr encourages commuters to use the MRT-3 Bus Augmentation Program which dispatches 90 buses. An additional 150 buses will also be deployed for the EDSA busway service for passengers who will take the route of Monumento to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITx). Shuttle services or mini buses are also available at Timog Avenue and Ortigas.
“During this pandemic, the mandate to [support] the reopening of the economy shall be balanced with the health and safety of the riding [public], and of our public transport personnel,” wrote the DOTr MRT-3 in their official statement.
Header photo courtesy of Inquirer.net
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