The testing of all workers in Metro Manila’s railway lines against Covid-19 are now being fast-tracked to ensure the well-being of commuters, the Department of Transportation said.
The mass testing of employees has resulted in limited operations of the LRT-2 since the enforcement of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR), Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal was extended last April 5
TRANSPORTATION Secretary Arthur Tugade has ordered the testing of all personnel manning Metro Manila’s railway systems to ensure the safety and overall well-being of commuters.
In a statement, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) railway sector said it is continuing with the mass testing of personnel from the four main rail systems in Metro Manila: the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), the Philippine National Railways (PNR), and the Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2 (LRT-1 and LRT-2).
As of April 6, 860 personnel of the MRT-3 underwent swab tests.
Of that number, 131 have tested positive for the virus.
From the 3,284 total number of MRT-3 personnel, more employees are scheduled to undergo the RT-PCR test.
For the PNR, 1,013 personnel underwent swab test and 131 had tested positive.
From the 1,729 total number of PNR personnel, more employees are still to be tested.
The LRT-1 for its part, reports that of the 377 personnel who were tested, 117 personnel tested positive for the COVID-19. More LRT-1 personnel from the total number of 1,185 will still be tested.
Meanwhile, 571 LRT-2 employees had been tested and 143 personnel were found to be positive of COVID-19.
The rail operator said more personnel from its 1,277 total workforce will still have to undergo swab tests.
Limited services
The mass testing of employees has resulted in limited operations of the LRT-2 since the enforcement of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR), Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal was extended last April 5.
The MRT-3 line is operating with 14 train sets while the LRT-1 line is dispatching 17 trains. The LRT-2 line is operating with five (5) trains.
The Department of Transportation has already dispatched augmenting bus services to affected passengers on the EDSA Carousel Route, as well as routes 9 (Cubao-Antipolo), 10 (Cubao-Doroteo Jose) and 17 (Monumento-EDSA Taft). (ONT)
Tags: #DepartmentOfTransportation, #railways, #Covid19, #masstesting