School In Purbalingga Becomes A COVID-19 Cluster, SMKN 1 Bukateja Holds Mass Antigen

PURBALINGGA - The Purbalingga Regency Government, Central Java held a mass antigen test on all students of SMKN 1 Bukateja to ensure there were no cases of COVID-19 in the limited face-to-face learning (PTM) trial activities.

"Alhamdulillah, of the 250 students of SMKN 1 Bukateja who took the antigen test, all of the students tested negative for COVID-19," said Purbalingga Regent Dyah Hayuning Pratiwi in Purbalingga, as reported by Antara, Wednesday, September 22.

He explained that the mass antigen test was expected to ensure the health condition of all students and as learning material following the large number of students at SMPN 3 Mrebet and SMPN 4 Mrebet whose antigen tests showed positive results for COVID-19.

As previously reported, the Purbalingga District Health Office informed that the antigen test conducted on 61 students of SMPN 3 Mrebet also showed positive results following the previous 90 students from SMPN 4 Mrebet being positive which triggered the cessation of face-to-face learning in this area.

Therefore, said the Regent, at this time his party is conducting a sampling test on schools by conducting mass antigen tests.

"The Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19 in Purbalingga Regency will also conduct evaluation studies in several sub-districts," he said. This is to ensure that all activities or PTM preparation plans from schools can be monitored and under the coordination of the task force.

The Purbalingga Regency Government, he said, also temporarily suspended limited face-to-face learning activities in order to conduct further evaluations on the readiness of health protocols.

"For the time being, the entire implementation of limited PTM is suspended until further evaluation," he said.

The Regent added that so far his party had made strict rules for the implementation of limited PTM.

"For example, by carrying out mass antigen tests before the implementation of limited PTM, vaccinating teaching staff and also ensuring the readiness of implementing health protocols in schools," he said.

In the future it will make more detailed and stricter rules related to the implementation of PTM. T.W004