The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) on Monday banned talking and answering phone calls inside trains.

In an advisory, the MRT-3 said the new rules were meant to limit virus spread among commuters.

“Upang maiwasan ang posibleng pagkalat at pagkahawa ng virus sa mga commuters, ipinagbabawal na ang pagsagot ng tawag sa cellphone ng mga pasahero at pagsasalita sa loob ng tren,” MRT-3 said.

“Maaari maging sanhi ng pagkahawa sa virus ang respiratory droplets na nanggagaling sa pagsasalita, pag-ubo at pagbahing kaya’t pinapaalalahanan din ang mga pasahero na panatilihing nakasuot ang face mask,” it added.

The Light Rail Transit Line 1 imposed a ban on talking inside trains on June 10.

MRT-3 resumed its operations on a limited capacity on Monday after a five-day shutdown, after multiple station personnel tested positive for Covid-19.

Starting Monday, passengers were required to fill out health declaration forms before boarding.

To date, 281 MRT-3 personnel have tested positive for Covid-19. John Ezekiel J. Hirro