Coordinating Minister Airlangga's Strategy In The Return Mechanism Of XX Papua PON Athletes To Prevent The Spread Of COVID-19

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto. (Photo: Doc. Coordinating Ministry for the Economy)

JAKARTA - The XX National Sports Week (PON) has been held for the past two weeks, so that there have been several sports that have completed all their matches, and the athletes have been able to return to their respective regions. To anticipate this, especially so that there will not be an increase in COVID-19 cases, both in Papua itself and in the athletes' areas of origin, the Government is preparing and continuing to evaluate the mechanism for returning athletes, coaches, and officials to their respective regions.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, as Chair of the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (KPC-PEN), led the discussion on the evaluation of health protocol arrangements for the return of PON XX Papua Participants, and specifically asked the Minister of Health, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Youth and Sports and Chair of the COVID-19 Task Force to continue to carry out their duties and supervise PON participants who are still in Papua until D + 5 after the PON Closing event on October 15, 2021.

"The Minister of Health should assign the team to continue to monitor athletes who are still in Papua, and to continue to treat if there are athletes who are exposed to Covid-19, must first be isolated in Papua and carry out tests until the 5th day. This will be valid until D+5 after Closing PON, including for Central Isolation Ships in Papua. The Minister of Transportation should continue to assign them until D+5", said Coordinating Minister Airlangga at the Coordinating Meeting for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Implementation of PON XX 2021, virtually, in Jakarta, Sunday, October 10.

The mechanism for the return of athletes and officials that has been determined by the Government is that they must carry out PCR tests from departure (before the flight) from Papua, and carry out PCR tests again after arriving at the airport in their area. They also have to carry out self-quarantine for 5 days at locations that have been prepared by their respective local governments.

However, if the Regional Government does not provide it, the Central COVID-19 Task Force will cooperate with the Regional COVID-19 Task Force and Regional KONI, to prepare the centralized isolation place.

To clarify and reaffirm the arrangements and mechanisms for the return of the PON Participants, the COVID-19 Handling Task Force will immediately review and revise the Circular (SE) of the Chairperson of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, so that it can be implemented starting on Tuesday, October 12 the day after tomorrow.

Coordinating Minister Airlangga also emphasized that the Menpora, Head of the COVID-19 Task Force, TNI/Police Operations Assistant, and the General Chairperson of KONI as Panwasrah (Supervisory and Steering Committee), to continue to closely monitor the implementation of the prokes for the remaining PON matches which will continue until October 15. Especially matches that have the potential to cause a crowd of spectators or supporters, such as Football, Basketball, Boxing, and Volleyball, especially the final match of Football.

"Regarding the (remaining) matches, attention must be paid to the implementation and implementation of the health protocol. Then, the residences of the athletes must also be monitored. Because one room is filled with several athletes, so if one of them is exposed, it must be immediately placed in the hospital. The isolation location is centralized, and his roommates are also immediately tested and close contact tracing is carried out", concluded Coordinating Minister Airlangga.

For information, as of October 9, 2021, the number of athletes who were confirmed to have COVID-19 at the XX PON event was 43 athletes with an additional case of 2 people on October 9, bringing a total of 45 athletes or about 0.45 percent of the total athletes and 10,066 officials.