School Clusters Begin To Appear, Minister Nadeim's Response: Yes Entar Yes

Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Mendikbudristek) Nadiem Makarim (Photo: Irfan Meidianto/VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Mendikbudristek) Nadiem Makarim did not want to comment in detail on the existence of school clusters after the opening of Face-to-face Learning (PTM) in a number of regions.

One of them, at SMPN 4 Mrebet Purbalingga, Central Java, which confirmed 90 of its students were positive for Corona. Then 25 students and three teachers at Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs) in Rengging Village, Pecangaan District, Jepara Regency, Central Java, who also tested positive for COVID-19. , Thursday, September 23.

Furthermore, Mas Minister actually left the room through the member's door and rushed to his car. Until he got into the car and was chased by a number of media crews, Minister Nadiem was also reluctant to comment. Likewise, the Acting Director General of Higher Education, Research and Technology Nizam responded in the same way. Nizam immediately left the room after taking a group photo. It is also known that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research Technology and Higher Education (Kemendikbudristek) released survey data regarding the emergence of 25 COVID-19 clusters in Jakarta originating from limited face-to-face learning activities (PTM).

The school website.data.kemdikbud.go.id contains survey data as of September 22, 2021. Based on data from 897 school respondents who filled out the survey, it is known that there are 25 clusters.

Of the 25 clusters, West Jakarta is the area with the most PTM clusters, namely 8 clusters. Meanwhile, East Jakarta has 6 clusters, North Jakarta 5 clusters, South Jakarta 5 clusters and 1 cluster in Central Jakarta.

Meanwhile, the total number of educators and education personnel (PTK) who were recorded positive for COVID-19 reached 227 cases.

Meanwhile, students who were exposed to COVID-19 and had a positive status counted 241 cases.

Head of the Health Office Widyastuti said the data still had to be investigated because there was a possibility that the spread of COVID-19 did not occur during the PTM.

"We know that maybe it was from the family first, or during interactions on the road because not all of them have private vehicles," said Widyastuti when met at the Monas area, Wednesday, September 22.

He also did not rule out the possibility of positive cases of COVID-19 during the PTM.

However, to ascertain whether the transmission is purely from schools, a more intense examination is needed so that cases can be called PTM clusters.

"But once again we have not been given any information or are still in the process of conducting joint investigations with the education office," said Widyastuti.