Isolation For 35 Days, KPU Chairman Arief Budiman Is Declared Healed Of COVID-19

Chairman of the KPU, Arief Budiman and his staff (photo doc. KPU RI)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian General Election Commission (KPU) Arief Budiman has been declared cured of COVID-19 after undergoing independent isolation for 35 days. This was confirmed by the Acting Chairman of the Indonesian KPU, Ilham Saputra.

"Regarding the health development of the head of the KPU, Brother Arief Budiman's swab test was only known today, Monday, and the results were negative," Ilham told reporters, Monday, October 26.

Ilham said that Arief underwent a swab test, blood check, and a throax scan photo on Friday, October 23. Apart from Arief, Ilham also said that the Indonesian KPU Commissioner Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi had also undergone a swab test on the same day.

Pramono's swab test results came out on Saturday, October 24 and was also declared healed of COVID-19. "In total, both of them have been isolated for approximately 35 days," he said.

Ilham continued, today all KPU RI commissioners have held a plenary meeting at the KPU RI office. In the plenary meeting, it was decided that Arief Budiman would return to serve as Chairman of the Indonesian KPU starting tomorrow, Tuesday, October 27.

Meanwhile, Pramono, who has remained active as a member of the Indonesian KPU but carried out his duties in a WFH manner, starting today has been working as usual.

"The Indonesian KPU would like to thank all parties, both government agencies, RSPAD, COVID-19 Task Force, Puskesmas Pejaten Barat, and health workers who have been caring for and monitoring the health of the two Indonesian KPU leaders so that they both recover as usual," explained Ilham. .

As is known, KPU Chairman Arief Budiman stated that he was positively infected with COVID-19 after carrying out a swab test on the night of September 17. Arief was treated at the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital for a more intensive treatment for COVID-19.

Two days later, Indonesian KPU Commissioner Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi announced he was infected with COVID-19 on Saturday, September 19. Pramono admitted that he did not experience any symptoms, or was categorized as a COVID-19 case without symptoms.

For the sake of smooth treatment at the hospital and the implementation of the 2020 Pilkada, Arief Budiman appointed the Indonesian KPU Commissioner Ilham Saputra as the daily executor (Plh) of the KPU Chair.