18 DPR Members Exposed To COVID-19, Anies: Buildings Must Be Closed For 3 Days

Gedung DPR/Irfan Meidianto-VOI

JAKARTA - As many as 18 DPR members are exposed to COVID-19. Not only that, 40 staff and other experts working at the DPR Building also tested positive.

Responding to this condition, DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan asked the DPR building to be closed for three days. All activities in the building must be temporarily suspended.

"The stipulation is that when there is a positive case, the activity must be stopped for 3 days at that place. That is the provision that must be implemented," said Anies at the City Hall of DKI, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, October 7.

Anies gave an example when a number of DKI City Hall Blok G employees were infected with the corona virus, then Anies immediately closed the building for three days and was sterilized.

However, he said, the closure does not have to be done in all areas of the office complex. Anies said the closure was only for buildings that had COVID-19 positive employees.

"So, the whole complex is not closed, but the ones that are closed in buildings where positive people are found. So the building where people work is positive, there are those that are closed. If not (positive ones are found), yes (closed the building), "explained Anies.

Meanwhile, Head of DKI Satpol PP Arifin said that his party would directly check the condition of the DPR RI building to ensure that the temporary closure was carried out.

"We'll check today. I think they already know the stipulation that (the building) should be closed," said Arifin.

Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Parliament Azis Syamsuddin previously stated that currently 18 of the 575 DPR members have tested positive for COVID-19. This is the reason the DPR and the government accelerate the recess period.

"18 members of the DPR are positive, the 40 positive are staff and experts. Hence, the recess is accelerated so that it does not spread," said Azis.