The Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT3) released Tuesday the stations and working schedules of the ticket sellers who tested positive for COVID-19 to help the management with the contact tracing and stop the further spread of the virus.
MRT3 reported that as of Monday, July 6, a total of 198 employees acquired the respiratory disease. Of the number, 177 works at the, three were train drivers, two at the control center, and 16 were station personnel.
Ticket sellers are assigned to North Avenue Station (four), Cubao Station (five), Kamuning Station (one), a reserve, and a nurse from Taft.
MRT3 released the working schedule of the COVID-19 positive ticket sellers from the four stations:
- North Avenue: 1 p.m. to 11 p.m.; 4:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.
- Quezon Avenue: 1 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- GMA-Kamuning: 4:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.
- Cubao: 1 p.m. to 11: p.m.; 4:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
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The MRT3 administration urged all passengers who had direct contact with the COVID-19 positive ticket sellers to undergo home quarantine and watch their health condition.
Undersecretary Timothy John Batan earlier announced MRT3 would stop operations from Tuesday, July 7, until July 11, for the rest of the staff to undergo the COVID-19 test.
“Gagawin po natin ‘yan dahil sa gusto po natin matapos ‘yung tinatawag natin na swab testing o RT-PCR testing ng lahat ng ating tauhan, lahat ng ating MRT3 personnel,” said the official.
(We will do that because we want to do what we call swab testing or RT-PCR testing of all our staff, all our MRT3 personnel.)
Batan said the suspension of the operation could be shortened depending on the speed of the employees’ swab test.
According to Batan, MRT3 has a total of 3,200 staff, and 1,300 personnel are needed to continue the operation of the mass transport system.
“Ngayon kailangan pa natin ng 964 na confirmed na negative bago tayo makapag-resume. So ‘pag naabot natin ‘yang 960 na additional na confirmed negative, puwede tayong magresume ng operations,” the official explained.
(Now we need 964 with confirmed negative test result before we can resume. So if we reach 960 additional confirmed negatives, we can continue operations.)