The Philippine National Railways (PNR) will resume its operations starting Monday, April 12, after the completion of the mandatory coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing among all of its personnel over the weekend.

PNR's train service was initially scheduled to return on April 9 at a reduced capacity but was deferred as some personnel were still waiting for their swab test results.
"The deferment of resumption of PNR train operations from April 9 to April 12 was decided upon by the PNR Management Committee as some RT-PCR results are still pending release, which requires tested personnel to stay at home while waiting for results," the PNR explained in a statement.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade earlier ordered mass testing among all railway workers during the Holy Week maintenance shutdown in the rail sector due to an increase in the numbers of COVID-positive personnel.
The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) Lines 1 and 2 scaled down their operations since reopening on Monday, April 5, to give way for the mass testing.
Data from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) showed that at least 157 PNR personnel have tested positive out of the 1,239 who were tested as of Thursday, April 8.
The PNR management said its personnel who were infected with COVID-19 are already in isolation, while those with direct contact were subjected to strict quarantine procedures.
"Only those who tested negative were allowed to render duty, but subject to a reintegration procedure through antigen testing to ensure the safety of all other PNR personnel, as well as PNR train passengers," it explained.
"As passenger and personnel safety remains its utmost priority, PNR seeks the understanding and cooperation of its passengers as it continues to implement stringent health protocol prior to its resumption of operations on Monday," the management added.