The City Government's Quick Action To Stop Face-to-face Learning In Pancoran Mas Depok Due To COVID-19 School Cases Soared After Mass Swab Test

Mayor of Depok, Mohammad Idris at SDN Sukatani 7 (Photo: Depok Diskominfo)

JAKARTA - The Depok City Government has temporarily suspended Limited Face-to-Face Learning (PTMT) activities for schools in Pancoran Mas. There have been several cases of COVID-19 resulting from random antigen swabs.

As of Friday, November 19, Depok again implemented Learning From Home (BDR) for all educational units in the Pancoran Mas sub-district. The policy is stated in the Mayor's Circular (SE) Number: 8.02/648/SATGAS/2021 concerning Limited Suspension of PTMT Operations.

The Mayor of Depok, Mohammad Idris explained, the temporary suspension of PTMT for all educational units in Pancoran Mas due to good tracing and testing of COVID-19. One of them is by doing a massive Antigen Swab.

"We already have a program called Mobile Swab, we do Antigen Swab to schools that do PTMT randomly so we know how far the implementation of PTMT for our children," said Idris as seen from his personal YouTube channel.

He said, initially two positive cases of COVID-19 were found in a school in Pancoran Mas. The Depok City Government has moved quickly to conduct mobile swabs in various locations around the area. As a result, the cases are increasing.

The Depok City Government finally issued the Mayor's Decree Number: 8.02/648/SATGAS/2021 concerning Limited Temporary Suspension of PTMT Operations. This policy is in the context of the mitigation process and anticipation of the wider spread of COVID-19 cases.

"We have temporarily suspended this PTMT with Learning From Home for all levels of education in Pancoran Mas District, because the highest cases are there and the spread is quite massive," he said.

This BDR policy also applies to students who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, namely elementary school students and the equivalent. The reason is that the government has not provided a COVID-19 vaccine for those under the age of 12.

Meanwhile, junior high school (SMP) and high school (SMA) students outside the Panmas sub-district who have not been vaccinated are also asked to do BDR. However, students who are in other areas and have been vaccinated can still carry out PTMT with a health protocol in accordance with the Instruction of the Minister of Home Affairs Number 53 of 2021 concerning the implementation of restrictions on community activities at level 3, level 2, and level 1 Corona Virus Disease 2019 in the Java and Bali regions.