In Addition To The Celebration, The Walisongo Pilgrimage And Islamic Boarding School (Ponpes) COVID-19 Clusters Appeared In Banyuwangi

ILLUSTRATION/UNSPLASH

BANYUWANGI - Cases of COVID-19 transmission in Banyuwangi, East Java, have soared in the last two weeks. This is marked by the emergence of new clusters of COVID-19.

In addition to the two celebration clusters, the Banyuwangi Health Service found two new clusters, namely from the Islamic boarding school and the Walisongo pilgrimage.

Head of the Banyuwangi Health Service, Widji Lestariono, said 28 students at one of the cottages in Blimbingsari District had tested positive for COVID-19.

This was known after one of the students was sick and was tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago.

"There were students who were sick and then we tested and they were positive. Then tracing and developing found 28 people," said Widji, Monday, June 21.

Widji said the boarding school is not too big with the number of students under 100 people. According to him, the handling is also easier because they live in one location.

"The whole isolation is inside the hut, the access in and out is tightened, so that no one goes in and out. So the handling is easier," said the man who is familiarly called Rio.

In addition, clusters emerged from pilgrimage visits to Walisongo in Blimbingsari District. A total of 11 people from this pilgrimage group tested positive for COVID-19.

However, Widji has not explained the details of the chronology and the number of residents who participated in this pilgrimage. "This transmission occurs in the crowd, they take off their masks, chat," he said.

The Banyuwangi Health Office noted that COVID-19 cases in Banyuwangi experienced a spike in the last 2 weeks. If previously the daily transmission was below 10, now the number is above 30.

"The jump didn't happen right away, and slowly went up," he said.

The Banyuwangi Health Office appealed to residents to adhere to health protocols and avoid crowds. Crowds have the potential to accelerate the transmission of COVID-19.