Findings Of COVID-19 Cases During Face-to-face Learning In Yogyakarta Reached 26 Cases

YOGYAKARTA - The number of students who were confirmed positive for COVID-19 during face-to-face learning activities at the elementary, junior high, high school/vocational schools in the city of Yogyakarta continued to increase to 26 students. But the local COVID-19 Task Force has not classified it as a cluster.

"The number can indeed be said to be large because we are still looking for it. We don't just sit around waiting for an asymptomatic resident to carry out tracing and testing", said Heroe Poerwadi, Head of the Yogyakarta COVID-19 Handling Task Force, quoted by Antara, Monday, November 29.

The number of findings comes from the examination of students in 17 schools that have implemented face-to-face learning (PTM) with a total of 2,079 samples.

The case findings were spread in less than 10 schools with the most six cases in one school even though they came from students in different classes.

All students who have been confirmed positive for COVID-19 do not show symptoms of illness and are in good health.

"We immediately carried out tracing and testing using a rapid antigen test to both students in the same class and their families. The results were negative, so we have not classified them as clusters because there is no widespread transmission", continued Heroe.

However, all close contacts of positive cases have been asked to isolate and will continue to undergo PCR swabs on the fifth day as an "exit test" to determine whether exposure has occurred or not.

"Or is this what is called herd immunity. When someone is exposed but does not transmit and those who are exposed are in good condition. There are no health complaints", he said.

Heroe asked the epidemiologist to participate in analyzing the condition of the transmission of COVID-19 in the city of Yogyakarta.

"Yogyakarta City has completed the vaccination for the first dose and for the second dose it has reached 85 percent. Does this condition also affect the case exposure in Yogyakarta?", he said.

Although there were case findings from face-to-face learning activities, Heroe, who is also the Deputy Mayor of Yogyakarta, said that he would not rush to stop face-to-face learning.

"We will continue to study it first. Therefore, we carry out multilevel examinations from antigen to PCR to find the pattern of distribution and the root of the transmission so that the policy that will be issued is correct", said Heroe.

Examination activities on students who have run PTM are planned to be continued at the next stage with different school targets.