The Chairperson Of The KPU Is Positive For COVID-19, All WFH Employees Again

Illustrations (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian General Elections Commission (KPU) Arief Budiman announced that he had been positive for COVID-19 since Thursday, September 17 evening.

Thus, the KPU RI office located at Jalan Imam Bonjol, Central Jakarta will be closed starting tomorrow, Saturday, September 19. All KPU central employees work from home or work from home for the second time.

"The KPU applies the WFH policy, starting from September 18 to September 22," said Arief in his statement, Friday, September 18.

As long as it is closed, the KPU office will be sterilized using disinfectant liquid on Saturday, September 19 tomorrow. Apart from the office, Arief's official residence will also be sterilized.

After Arief was found positive for the corona virus, everyone at the KPU official residence underwent a swab test. Arief also underwent another test.

"On the morning of September 18, a swab test was carried out on all the people at the KPU official residence, including I did another test," he said.

Arief admitted that he was positive for COVID-19 without feeling any symptoms. Therefore, he continued to work and carried out independent isolation.

"On the 18th morning, we have started self-quarantine because there are no symptoms, cough, fever, runny nose or shortness of breath. I continue to carry out tasks by WFH and online," he explained.

A month earlier, the KPU office was also closed because 21 KPU employees tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, August 6.

Initially, said Arief, on July 20, an employee was asked not to work at the office because his wife tested positive for COVID-19. After 3 days, the employee also tested positive for COVID-19 based on the results of the swab test.

Then 252 staff members of the KPU RI Office underwent a swab examination on July 22. As a result, there were 3 people who tested positive for COVID-19. Then, the KPU continued the swab examination on more than 700 other employees for 3 days, namely on August 3, 4 and 5.

"The results of the test on the 3rd were 3 employees (positive for COVID-19), the test on the 4th was 12, then the 5th test which came out today was stated to be 6 (positive for COVID-19). So, a total of 21, "explained Arief.

At that time, the KPU RI building was also sterilized again using disinfectant liquid. All KPU employees work from their own homes. "All employees today do WFH (work from home), including one that I did," he added.