Don't Want To Be Missed, Yogyakarta City Government Will Conduct Antigen Test To Students And Teachers

YOGYAKARTA - The Yogyakarta City Government plans to implement a rapid antigen sampling test for students and teachers who have undergone face-to-face learning at school. This is an effort to strengthen the testing of COVID-19 cases in the city.

"Because face-to-face learning has been allowed, strengthening testing is needed to ensure there is no case transmission in schools. The way is by sampling antigens to students and teachers," said Yogyakarta Mayor Haryadi Suyuti in Yogyakarta quoted from Antara, Tuesday, November 9.

Antigen sampling is done because face-to-face learning has been carried out for quite a long time and students and teachers come from different environments. "Of course, there is a risk of transmission even though all activities at the school have been carried out with strict health protocols," he said.

By increasing the number of tests, Haryadi hopes that all residents in the school, both students and teachers and other employees, will become more confident that the learning environment is in a safe condition or there is no transmission. All sampling activities for teachers and students will be guided by the nearest puskesmas from the school.

“We have an adequate supply of antigens. However, we are also working on using other test methods. Not by taking samples from the respiratory tract but from saliva to make it more comfortable and not cause trauma or fear," he said.

If the antigen test results are reactive, it will be followed by a PCR swab for diagnosis. "Of course, we will also ask parents' permission," he said.

Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary of the Region for People's Welfare of Yogyakarta City, Sisruwadi, said that the antigen sampling plan for students and teachers will be carried out this week.

Previously, the Head of the Yogyakarta City Health Office, Emma Rahmi Aryani, said that antigen sampling would be conducted on 30 students and three teachers from each school. “The method is sampling. Later, officers from the Puskesmas will come to the school," he said.

He also ensured that he had sufficient supplies of rapid antigen tests, around 40,000 units. “Of course, there will be an evaluation of the implementation of this sampling. For example, if a reactive result is found, it will be followed up with more testing and tracing," he said.