45 Workers Exposed To COVID-19, Sudirman Suites Makassar Apartment Project Sealed

The Makassar COVID-19 Task Force sealed the 31 Sudirman Suites apartment construction project on Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, Ujungpadang District (ANTARA)

MAKASSAR - The Makassar City COVID-19 Task Force (Satgas), South Sulawesi, sealed the 31 Sudirman Suites apartment construction project on Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, Ujungpadang District. The sealing was carried out after 45 project workers were confirmed positive for the corona virus.

"From the reports received, there are 45 workers who have been confirmed positive and are still being treated at the Pelamonia Hospital. The workers were imported from Java," said the COVID-19 Master, Ujung Pandang District, Andi Pattawari, Friday, June 4.

After receiving this information, the Raika Task Force (Crowd Breaker) team assisted by TNI-Polri personnel immediately carried out the sealing to anticipate the spread of the virus. The officer asked the project developer to stop construction temporarily.

However, the contractor resisted until there was a fierce debate between the contractor and the Task Force team for refusing to seal the project. Even though the contractor argued that the workers had been treated medically, the Task Force was adamant that the project had to be sealed and stopped its activities, because it was prone to transmission. Until finally the project received the sealing.

Pattawari said, from the HRD management's explanation on the project, all of the workers came from Central Java. They arrive in Makassar starting May 30, 2021, then undergo a rapid antigen test in stages

Of the 59 people who were tested for rapid antigen, seven of them were confirmed positive. Furthermore, on June 1, 2021, swab tests were carried out on 142 workers, and the results, there were 33 positive people.

"Today there are more in the swab of 10 workers. As a result, five of them tested positive for COVID-19. The Task Force team also sealed the workers' mess on Jalan Batu Putih," said Pattawari.

The sealing is a precautionary measure against the spread of the virus. The plan is that all workers and staff will be traced and tested for PCR Swab directly by the Covid Hunter Task Force team, which has been activated as of today.

"This is what we anticipate. Tomorrow we will carry out tracing and testing by the Covid Hunter Task Force, which the Mayor has launched today. We have coordinated with the Ujungpandang Health Center to carry out the operation," he said.

Confirmed separately, the HRD management of PT Totalindo Construction Building as the contractor for the apartment project, Sabdi Jati, confirmed the sealing of the project following dozens of workers being exposed to COVID-19. However, he reasoned, the workers had not yet started working at the project site.

"Yes, just arrived from Central Java, no one has started work yet, because they just arrived here," he said.

Meanwhile, according to data from the South Sulawesi COVID-19 task force, as of June 4, there were 13 additional positive patients from 804 specimens examined. The number of accumulated positive patients until the 442nd day was recorded at 62,280 people.

Meanwhile, the recovery rate increased by 18 patients, with the accumulated number of recovered patients being 60,958 people. Patients who died also increased by one person, with an accumulated death toll of 948 people.