Findings Of Positive COVID-19 Cases From Face-to-face Learning At Schools In Yogyakarta Increase

YOGYAKARTA - The Yogyakarta City COVID-19 Handling Task Force confirmed an additional three positive cases of COVID-19 from limited face-to-face learning (PTM) activities based on the results of a randomized examination that had been carried out.

“Today, there are three cases found in three different schools. We will immediately follow up with tracing his close contacts", said Heroe Poerwadi, Daily Chair of the Yogyakarta COVID-19 Handling Task Force, quoted by Antara, Friday, November 26.

According to Heroe, the three students who were confirmed positive did not show any symptoms of illness and were immediately asked to undergo isolation.

The three schools are also temporarily closed for tracing purposes and will continue with testing to prevent the potential for wider transmission.

"Teaching and learning activities are fully returned online", he said.

Previously, it was confirmed that four students had tested positive for COVID-19. All of them come from one school.

Of these cases, 79 close contacts with the antigen rapid test have been examined and all of them have negative test results. "We will repeat the PCR test next week. Hopefully, it will show negative results again", he said.

Heroe, who is also the Deputy Mayor of Yogyakarta, said that the City of Yogyakarta is indeed actively conducting COVID-19 examinations or tests on students and teachers from schools who have undergone limited face-to-face learning.

"So, we don't wait for students or teachers who are sick to carry out an examination. But we are active by conducting random checks", he said.

In the first stage, targeted random inspection in 17 schools from elementary, junior high, high school, and vocational schools in Yogyakarta with a total target of 2,050 samples.

To date, tests have been carried out in 14 schools with more than 1,500 samples and seven confirmed positive cases.

"When viewed from the percentage, the findings of cases that occur are still relatively small and the distribution is low because close contacts show negative results", he said.

The random inspection activity to 17 schools is targeted to be completed on November 30 and will be continued in the next stage with other schools targeting so that all schools in the city of Yogyakarta undergo random checks.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of Commission D of the Yogyakarta City Regional House of Representatives, Krisnadi said, to prevent widespread transmission, schools were asked to be really strict in implementing health protocols when PTM was limited.

“For example, in elementary school, it is only limited to grade 6 because it is already the age of getting vaccinated. There may not be an increase in the frequency or hours of learning. It has to be strictly controlled", he said.

He also suspected that the positive case finding from the limited PTM activity was caused by the child being infected by the parents.

“Because those who have higher mobility are adults than children. Maybe they got it from their parents", he said.