Syah Kuala Aceh University Quarantine 60 COVID-19 Positive Students

Illustration - USK Banda Aceh Rectorate Building (ANTARA/Rahmat Fajri)

BANDA ACEH - Syiah Kuala University (USK) Banda Aceh carried out a special quarantine for 60 students who were exposed to COVID-19 in a local dormitory to prevent the spread of the corona virus.

"Currently, we have 60 students quarantined in dormitories, with special blocks," said USK Banda Aceh Public Relations Coordinator Ferizal Hasan as quoted by Antara, Wednesday, February 9.

Ferizal said that after it was discovered that a student had been exposed to COVID-19, the campus then tracked 102 other students, and from these results it was found that 60 people were confirmed positive for COVID-19.

"Because one person was exposed to one in the dormitory, then we traced everything in one of the dormitory blocks, and of the 102 students who were traced, 60 people were exposed or 59 percent," he said.

According to Ferizal, those exposed were from various faculties, and lived in one dormitory block. Hence they are quarantined to prevent wider spread.

"They are not allowed to leave the dormitory until later tested negative for COVID-19, they have been quarantined for three days," he said.

Due to this condition, Ferizal continued, USK again implemented online lecture activities until February 20, 2022, in response to the development of COVID-19 in the campus environment.

"Now we apply it online first, we will see whether or not the progress of COVID-19 increases, and later we will wait for directions from the Banda Aceh COVID-19 Task Force on how to go forward," said Ferizal.

Ferizal said that other students who were still living in the dormitories were also not allowed to return to their hometowns, they had to take online lectures in their respective dormitory blocks.

"No one has returned to their hometown. All the students study online from Banda Aceh," he said.

Ferizal added, as an effort to prevent COVID-19, the campus has also required vaccination of all students, and this has also received supervision from the college health team.

"If we haven't vaccinated, we continue to encourage them to do it at the USK Hospital, and students who are in the village are also required to vaccinate in their respective areas," said Ferizal.