Balikpapan Red Zone COVID-19, Face-to-face Schools SD And PAUD Closed

Head of the Balikpapan City Education and Culture Office, Muhaimin (Antaranews/Novi Abdi)

BALIKPAPAN - Face-to-face learning at the junior high school level in Balikpapan City, East Kalimantan, is implemented two days a week, because the area's status is defined as a red zone or a high risk of COVID-19 transmission.

"In the meantime, only PAUD and SD schools are closed because this area is a red zone," said Head of the Balikpapan City Education and Culture Office, Muhaimin, in Balikpapan, as reported by Antara, Wednesday, February 9.

Meanwhile, face-to-face learning for junior high schools, he explained, is implemented two days a week with a maximum capacity of 50 percent of the total number of students in the class.

The policy is enforced based on a Joint Decree of the Ministers of Education and Culture, Research and Technology, the Minister of Religion, the Minister of Health, and the Minister of Home Affairs.

The joint decision is Number 05/KB/2021, Number 1347 of 2021, Number HK.01.08/MENKES/6678/2021, Number 443-5847 of 2021 concerning Learning Guidelines during the Corona virus Disease 2019 or COVID-19 Pandemic Period.

"We combined the SKB of four ministers, the lesson is a maximum of 50 percent, because conditions in Balikpapan are red zones for the spread of the corona virus," he said.

PAUD and SD carry out full distance or online learning, he continued, junior high school face-to-face learning which is held two days a week. For direct or face-to-face learning, Muhaimin said, if anyone is confirmed to be positive for COVID-19 at school, then the school concerned temporarily closed.

Middle school and equivalent levels are still allowed to carry out face-to-face learning, he said, because the coverage of COVID-19 vaccination doses one and two has reached 100 percent.

The tightening of community activities was carried out for a number of tourist attractions and public facilities, due to the red zone or high risk of COVID-19 transmission.

He explained that the Balikpapan City Government's policy to tighten or restrict it, including face-to-face learning activities in schools.