The Government Has A Reason Not To Disclose The Results Of Tracing COVID-19, Such As In Singapore

Illustrations (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian government is considered not as transparent as the Singaporean government in handling cases of the corona virus or COVID-19. This is because the public thinks that the Indonesian government has closed the results of the tracing contact they made to the spread of the virus.

Twitter account @ KawalCOVID19 questioned the reason the government did not disclose the tracing results at the press conference. In fact, the Singapore government opened the tracing results without mentioning the identities of the patients. The Singapore health authorities gave details of the patients' origins, as well as their ages.

Good morning tweeps, today let's play with @ KemenkesRI. First, can the Ministry of Health update new cases with clearer and more structured details?

- KawalCOVID19 (@ KawalCOVID19) March 10, 2020

The spokesman for the handling of COVID-19 in Indonesia, Achmad Yurianto, said that the government did not disclose the results of tracing by considering the social conditions of the people in Indonesia.

"It is not easy for us to equate our society with the people of Singapore, but that does not mean that the search is secret, we must talk to the surrounding areas," Yuri told reporters at a press conference at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Tuesday, March 10.

He added that the government did not disclose the data so as not to get rejection from local residents. Because, reflecting on the case of placing Indonesian citizens from Wuhan in Natuna, Batam, they were rejected by residents there.

Apart from that, another consideration is that the government does not disclose the tracing data because of its vast area. Even so, Yurianto said, the government had started tracing outside the island of Java because patients identified with this virus had high mobility.

This reason is why the government keeps the tracing data and does not open it like in Singapore. "Because if we open a variety of responses, it will be due to the lack of understanding between us," he said.

Even so, the government will carry out tighter supervision on those who have had close contact with COVID-19 patients. Those who are positive for COVID-19, said Yuri, would soon be isolated.

"If not, he becomes the center of distribution. The search is conducted in an open manner, because if it were open he could have run away and moved out of town."

The spokesman for the handling of COVID-19 in Indonesia, Achmad Yurianto