15 MRT3 depot workers positive for COVID-19

Metro Rail Transit 3 and Sumitomo-MHI-TESPI personnel are set to undergo rapid antibody testing today after 15 workers of the rail maintenance company tested positive for COVID-19.

 

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will conduct the testing.

 

“All employees will be required to undergo testing. We have been conducting disinfection in the depot, at stations, and in trains. We will continue to implement these and other measures to contain the spread of the virus in our workplace, stations, and trains,” said MRT-3 Director for Operations Michael J. Capati.

 

Capati also said depot-wide disinfection will be repeated despite having been done last Monday.

 

Personnel who will test positive in the rapid testing will be required to undergo RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) confirmatory testing and must self-quarantine while waiting for the confirmatory test results.

 

The MRT-3 management will also implement additional health and safety protocols to further limit the interaction between depot and station personnel.

 

“We have the best interest of our passengers and employees at heart. We want to immediately address the situation to prevent more people from contracting the disease,” Capati said.

 

Sumitomo-MHI-TESPI reported that the depot employee who tested positive underwent a Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test on June 11. The result was released on June 14. The depot employee last reported for work on June 8.

 

Contact tracing followed, and 32 depot personnel were found to have made contact with the worker. RT-PCR testing the next day confirmed that 14 of the personnel contracted COVID-19.

 

Contact tracing is ongoing for the 14 COVID-19-positive depot personnel. Identified contacts have been advised to undergo self-quarantine and RT-PCR testing before going back to work at the MRT-3 depot.