15 employees of MRT maintenance provider test positive for COVID-19

Almost three weeks after the MRT3 resumed operations, 15 employees of its maintenance provider have tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

According to Vonne Aquino's report on "24 Oras" on Thursday, an employee of Sumitomo-MHI-TESP was confirmed positive on June 14 after experiencing a sore throat.

"The depot personnel's last day to report at the depot was on June 8. On the same day, contact tracing was done for the COVID-19 positive Sumitomo-MHI-TESP depot worker, with 32 depot personnel being identified to have made contact with the worker," the MRT3 management said.

All 32 personnel took an RT-PCR test the following day, of which 14 others have tested positive for the virus but are all asymptomatic cases.

The MRT3 management said that they immediately conducted disinfection procedures at the quality control office where all positive personnel worked.

"Ang ni-lockdown lang namin 'yung area nu'ng quality kasi doon nanggaling 'yung primary patient natin, ano? And then the rest okay naman kasi malayo naman siya, isolated naman siya sa production areas atsaka sa maintenance area natin," MRT3 director Michael Capati said.

"So okay lang at hindi rin siya- wala 'tong ano, wala 'tong connection doon sa ating stations. They are very very far," he added.

Aside from the regular disinfection of trains and stations, authorities will also repeat the depot-wide disinfection conducted on Monday.

MRT3 will also provide additional health and safety protocols to further limit contact between their depot personnel and station personnel. 

"From depot via ano na kami radyo na ang communication namin sa station, hindi na by personnel. Dati-rati personnel ang pumunta doon, ngayon radyo na lang para at least wala nang interactioon na mangyayari from the depeto," Capati said.

"And at the same time, nandoon pa rin 'yung ating frequent, of course, 'yung wearing ng mask, 'yung frequent hygiene natin. and 'yung thermal scanner natin, and the- keep on reminding the people, especially 'yung social distancing din sa work," he added.

Officials are aiming to place 800 to 1,000 MRT3 employees under rapid anti-body test, which started on Thursday. -Joahna Lei Casilao/MDM, GMA News