All Schools Can Enter, Task Force: Pay Attention To The Development Of COVID-19

JAKARTA - Local governments are asked to see the development of COVID-19 cases in their regions before implementing face-to-face learning in schools. Direct learning, do not cause new clusters.

"The opening of this face-to-face learning needs to pay attention to data on the progress of the COVID-19 case," said Wiku Adisasmisto, spokesman for the COVID-19 Task Force during a press conference broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube account, Thursday, January 8.

Local government, he continued, needs to pay attention to case developments. Because from the data they have, as many as 8.87 percent of school-age children have actually contributed to COVID-19 cases at the national level.

Wiku explained that children in elementary school education, namely 7 to 12 years old, contributed the most, namely 29.8 percent.

Next, high school equivalent age children, namely 16 to 18 years of 23.17 percent; junior high school age, namely 13 to 15 years with 18.8 percent; and kindergarten age, namely three to six years with 14.3 percent.

"And the age equivalent to PAUD (early childhood education) is zero to six years in the last position with 13.8 percent," he explained.

The data, said Wiku, was not intended to frighten the local government and the community. Rather, it is a form of transparency of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force so that it becomes a common concern.

"This data should be used as a basis for consideration before issuing face-to-face learning permits," he said.

For information, Mendikbud Nadiem Makarim has allowed local governments to open schools or carry out face-to-face learning activities starting January 2021. The opening of these schools is no longer based on zoning for the spread of COVID-19 as he had previously conveyed.

"The big difference with the previous SKB is that the risk zoning map no longer determines the granting of face-to-face learning permits, but the local government determines it, so it can select areas in a more detailed way. This policy applies from the even semester of the 2020-2021 school year. , "said Nadiem, Friday, November 20.

With the time lag for face-to-face learning, Nadiem hopes that local governments and schools can prepare themselves. "If you want to meet face to face, you must immediately increase your readiness to implement this from now until the end of the year," he said.