Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 23) — The wearing of face masks is still “strictly enforced” in all train systems in the country amid the rise in COVID-19 cases, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Sunday.
In a statement, the DOTr said face mask use remains compulsory inside all trains of the Light Rail Transit (LRT), the Metro Rail Transit (MRT), and the Philippine National Railways (PNR).It is also mandatory in every LRT and MRT station, while optional in PNR stations due to their open-air spaces.Our medical professionals in the railways sector stressed that the risk of COVID-19 transmission remains present in our trains as they are enclosed spaces,” DOTr Assistant Secretary for Railways Jorjette Aquino said.Aquino urged commuters to remain vigilant, and encouraged them to get vaccinated and boosted against the virus.
“As explained by medical professionals, these booster shots are designed to help maintain the level of protection against the virus, especially as new variants emerge,” Aquino said.
The Department of Health (DOH) said last week that the positivity rate, or the percentage of tested people with positive COVID-19 results, is on the rise at 7.6% nationwide, or an average of 371 new infections daily,
Despite this, the DOH maintained it will not recommend the return of mandatory face mask use.
