The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has inflicted 45 more personnel of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), bringing to 172 the total number of infected workers, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) reported on Sunday, July 5. 

According to a report, 39 depot personnel and six station employees were tested positive for the deadly disease.

The MRT-3 management in a statement said it has "ramped-up the enforcement of health and safety protocols to protect both its personnel and commuters from the COVID-19."

Pursuant to the guidance of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), all MRT-3 personnel, including the personnel of its maintenance service provider and other subcontractors, are now undergoing RT-PCR testing.

It said the MRT-3 personnel who have contracted the coronavirus have now been admitted in government quarantine facilities in the World Trade Center, Philippine Arena, and PhilSports Arena.

In addition, MRT-3 personnel who have undergone RT-PCR testing have also been placed under quarantine pending the release of the test results. 

Aside from RT-PCR testing, the MRT-3 management also conducted contact tracing within one to three days of the release of the RT-PCR tests. 

The identified primary contacts for those who tested positive for COVID-19 will be placed in quarantine and will be given priority in RT-PCR testing.

Meanwhile, as part of efforts to intensify the protection of MRT-3 commuters, all MRT-3 personnel at the line’s depot, as well as those assigned at the stations and trains, are now required to wear full personal protective equipment (PPEs), which includes face masks, face shields, gowns, and gloves.

The MRT-3 management has also heightened its monitoring and screening of the health conditions of its personnel. 

In addition to regular temperature checks, its personnel are now required to submit health declaration forms twice a day.

Disinfection activities at the MRT-3 depot and at all MRT-3 stations have also been heightened, with disinfection being done twice a day by a certified professional provider in addition to the continuing regular disinfection by its sanitation personnel. 

MRT-3 trains are also subjected to a “five-minute disinfection hustle” every half loop, at the end stations at the North Avenue Station and Taft Station.

For the convenience of train commuters and personnel, disinfection stations with disinfectants are also distributed in both the MRT-3 depot and at the MRT-3 stations.

Meanwhile, to further contain the spread of COVID-19 at the line’s depot and stations, the movement and interaction of personnel at the MRT-3 depot have been restricted pursuant to the following measures: movement of maintenance personnel has been limited to their respective areas of responsibilities; interaction between maintenance personnel and office personnel has been restricted; and non-essential office personnel are under a work-from-home scheme. 

At the MRT-3 stations and inside MRT-3 trains, markers have also been put in place to identify where passengers can line-up, stand, or sit.

Transport marshalls have also been deployed in all MRT-3 stations and inside MRT-3 trains to enforce physical distancing, by ensuring that passengers remain inside the markings. 

At the MRT-3 depot, roving safety officers have also been dispatched to ensure strict observance by depot personnel of all health and safety measures. 

The management also assured that nurses are also available to assist at all times at the depot and at the MRT-3 stations.