Mayor Of Gibran Ensures Face-to-Face Schools Continue Despite The COVID-19 Cluster

Wali Kota Surakarta Gibran Rakabuming Raka. ANTARA / Aris Wasita

SOLO - Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka ensured face-to-face learning (PTM) continues despite the emergence of school clusters in Solo City.

"Just keep going (PTM), except for those that have become clusters. We will temporarily close them as PJJ (distance learning)," he said in Solo, as reported by Antara, Wednesday, February 2.

He said so far teachers, employees, and students who were confirmed positive for COVID-19 were also in good condition and without symptoms.

"Don't worry, most of the people in school with OTG (asymptomatic people) recover quickly," he said.

Mentioned about the possibility of re-enacting the 50 percent PTM, he said, further coordination would be made.

"The important thing is that students and parents are comfortable. What is certain is that if the positive one is not a cluster, keep going. It doesn't need to be closed for long, we will certainly trace it too," he said.

Regarding the emergence of the COVID-19 cluster of schools in Solo, Head of the Surakarta City Health Office (DKK) Siti Wahyuningsih said so far there were eleven schools that were declared exposed to COVID-19, namely SDN Sayangan, SDN 16 Mangkubumen, SD Pangudi Luhur Santo Valentinus, SD Packaging Kratonan, SMPN 4 Surakarta, SMP Bintang Laut, SMA Warga, SMAN 1, SMAN 5, SMK Mikael, and SMA Kristen 1 Surakarta. He said that from the eleven schools, 40 people were confirmed to be positive for COVID-19.

"Many are from outside the city, from the index of cases out of eleven only three are in the city. In addition, many cases are also outside the city," he said.

He said that until now contact tracing is still being carried out.

"As many as 40 of these there must be additions, all of them are still in the tracing process," he said.

He also asked the school to continue to improve health protocols considering the increasing number of COVID-19 cases.

"The evidence is that there are additional cases, this Sayangan Elementary School was contacted on January 21, then he did not make contact but the others made contact. This means that there are cases, there are tails, meaning the potential for transmission is there," he said.