Social distancing and mass transportation are two concepts that, quite literally, don’t sit well together. Yet even as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced he country to implement stringent physical distancing measures, the government has needed to maintain public transport services for essential workers.
But with ridership on MRT trains and buses increasing, the chances of contracting the disease can be high.
According to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the MRT-3 management had traced the stations and working shifts of ticket sellers who were tested positive for COVID-19 to help the riding public determine if they had direct contact with the station personnel.
As of 6 July 2020, a total of 198 employees tested positive with the coronavirus disease, 177 of which are depot personnel, 3 train drivers, 2 Control Center personnel and 16 station personnel. The 16 station personnel who contracted the virus are ticket sellers— from North Avenue, GMA-Kamuning, Cubao and one on reserved status— and a nurse.
Below are the stations and the work shifts of the above-mentioned ticket sellers:
North Avenue
1pm to 11pm
4:30am to 2:30pm
Quezon Avenue
1pm to 11pm
GMA-Kamuning
4:30am to 2:30pm
Cubao
1pm to 11pm
4:30am to 2:30pm
Passengers who had direct contact with the infected personnel are advised to thoroughly observe their condition and undergo home quarantine to prevent the further transmission of the virus.
The MRT-3 management assures that it is doing the necessary measures to be able to maintain the health and safety of its employees and passengers, the statement added.
Suspension of MRT operations
As resolved by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), the MRT-3 will temporarily suspend its operations starting Tuesday, 07 July 2020.
The temporary shutdown will be undertaken to give way to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) swab testing of all MRT-3 personnel, including those of its maintenance provider and subcontractors, to prevent further spread of the disease, and, most importantly, to protect the health and safety of both its personnel and commuters.
The duration of the temporary shutdown is currently for 5 days, or until 11 July 2020, or until RT-PCR testing confirms a sufficient number of COVID-19 negative personnel to enable resumption of at least limited operations. This means that the period of the shutdown may be shortened or extended, depending on the pace and results of RT-PCR testing. (Official DOTr-MRT3 Facebook Page)
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Image from DOTr-MRT3 FB Page
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