The Philippine National Railways will resume operations on April 12 after management finished mass testing its staff for COVID-19, authorities said.
Those who tested positive for the virus during the Mar. 29 to Apr. 8 screening were isolated and their direct contacts were traced, the Department of Transportation said.
During this time, the PNR was out of commission in a bid to contain the virus' spread among staff and commuters.
ALSO READ:
MRT, LRT 1 and 2 on Limited Capacity for Mass COVID Testing
ECQ is Extended for One Week as COVID Surge Persists
LIST: Public, Private Transportation Allowed During ECQ 2021
Staff who tested negative last week were still subject to a reintegration procedure over the weekend through antigen testing before rendering duty. The move sought to reducing the risk of contamination and transmission inside PNR facilities and to the passengers.
Operations were originally slated to resume Friday, but PNR management defered it as some RT-PCR results were still pending. Personnel waiting for results had to stay at home.
Stringest health and safety protocols will be implemented before and when operations resume. Wearing of face masks plus face shields, frequent disinfection, and physical distancing are mandatory within the stations and aboard trains.
