Antigen Test At Bintan Center Market Protested, Head Of F-PDIP Kepri: They Are Not Thieves, Don't Force

TANJUNGPINANG - The health protocol raid conducted by the Tanjungpinang COVID-19 Handling Task Force at the Bintan Center Market drew protests because it was deemed inappropriate and arrogant.

Former Tanjungpinang Mayor Lis Darmansyah, who witnessed the action of the Tanjungpinang COVID-19 Handling Task Force, at the Bintan Center Market, said traders do not need to be forced to carry out antigens. The officers on duty should use a gentle method so that they are willing to be swabbed with the antigen method.

"They are not thieves. Not prostitutes! There is no need to be chased, forced," said Lis, who serves as chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Struggle Faction in the Riau Islands DPRD, quoted by Antara, Saturday, July 3.

The Mayor of Tanjungpinang Rahma, who led the raid, threatened to close the stalls of traders who did not want to be tested for antigen swabs.

The raid was a continuation of a raid conducted at a number of coffee shops a few nights ago.

A public policy observer, Alfiandri, considered the raid to be arrogant and sensationalizing. The Tanjungpinang Health Office and the Tanjungpinang COVID-19 Handling Task Force did not carry out their duties optimally, such as "tracing, testing and treatment".

"So why do raids here and there if patients who are positive for COVID-19 are not taken care of optimally," he said.

Initially, the raid consisted of pouring water on coffee shop visitors, then carrying out an antigen swab test.

"The executive and legislature must be able to work by providing legal certainty and in the name of statutory regulations, not by making scenes of playing flush or chasing people, such as hunting wild boars in the wilderness for swabs," he said

Another criticism arose when many COVID-19 patients in Tanjungpinang were not treated according to health protocols. Residents who are declared infected with COVID-19 after carrying out independent swab tests or in hospitals using the antigen method are not taken care of properly.

Pery, one of the residents of Tanjungpinang, was positive for COVID-19 based on the results of the swab test using the antigen method independently. He and his five family members were never recorded by health workers.

The same thing happened to Albet, Yoli, Odi and Remon. They are not taken care of by health personnel at all. People who were in close contact with them were also traced.

The conditions are different from the residents of Tanjungpinang, who are known to be positive for COVID-19 in Pekanbaru. Oksep, a resident of Tanjungpinang, conducted a swab test on the side of the road in Pekanbaru. After being found positive for COVID-19, health workers conducted a search on Oksep and his family. Then they were hospitalized.

"My brother is positive for COVID-19 in Tanjungpinang, has symptoms of shortness of breath, but it was not traced who was in close contact with him. My brother has not received a room for treatment since three days ago," said Oksep.