Yogyakarta City Government Ensures Residents Have No Difficulty Accessing Integrated Isolation Shelters

YOGYAKARTA - The Yogyakarta City Government (Pemkot) is trying to ensure that residents of the city who are tested positive for COVID-19 and need isolation services will not have difficulty accessing the integrated isolation shelter that is currently operational, namely the Bener Shelter.

“There are no residents of Yogyakarta City who have to queue to enter the shelter. If there is a queue, then it is residents from outside the city," said Yogyakarta Mayor Haryadi Suyuti, quoted by Antara, Monday, February 21.

Therefore, he asked the residents of the City of Yogyakarta not to worry about not being able to access the integrated isolation shelter if they are tested positive for COVID-19 and cannot undergo self-isolation at home for various reasons.

“The government is trying to provide maximum service and protection to citizens. Moreover, we are ready to open other shelters to meet the needs of integrated isolation," he said.

In the near future, he continued, a Bener Dua shelter will be opened which is in the same complex as the Bener Satu shelter and there is still one shelter that will also be operational if needed, namely the Gemawang shelter.

“We are currently preparing health workers and other necessary preparations for the Bener Dua Shelter. If the building is ready for use, he said.

In addition, Haryadi also asked that the integrated isolation shelter must also coordinate with the referral hospital.

“If there are patients whose condition worsens in the shelter, they can directly access the hospital. This has to be confirmed as well,” said Haryadi.

Meanwhile, the Daily Head of the Yogyakarta City COVID-19 Task Force, Heroe Poerwadi, said that active cases are expected to continue to increase until the end of February or early March.

“The bed occupancy rate (BOR) in hospitals has increased to around 50 percent. As for the shelter, about 65 percent," he said.

However, he said that most of the patients treated at the referral hospital in Yogyakarta City were residents from outside the city, 60 percent. Likewise, about 30 percent of patients in the shelter are from outside the area.

"In policy, we will continue to prioritize the residents of Yogyakarta City to be able to access the integrated isolation shelter," he said.

Residents from out of town or travelers who are confirmed positive for COVID-19 are advised to access isolation services at hotels or other isolation services. "However, we will also continue to look at case by case because it is possible that the needs will vary," he said.

On Monday, February 21, in the city of Yogyakarta, there were an additional 249 new cases of COVID-19, 122 patients were declared cured or completed isolation, and two patients died. Thus, to date there are 3,890 active cases in the city.