Due to a reported continued increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases in the country, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jimmy Bautista ordered that COVID-19 preventive measures be intensified in all railway lines in the country.
Operators of the Light Rail Transit (LRT), Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and Philippine National Railways (PNR) were told to strictly implement the mandatory wearing of face masks in all trains and stations.
Mandatory COVID-19 testing are also to be done on all officials, employes and personnel of rail lines who will manifest COVID-19 symptoms.
The directive was based on the Department of Health (DOH) report regarding the 42% increase in average daily new COVID-19 cases at 637 new cases daily during the last days of April 2023.
Train commuters are strictly prohibited from talking inside the trains or through their cellphones in order to prevent the transmission of the virus while disinfection activities in all trains and stations will continue.
