Deputy Governor Of DKI Responds To The Findings Of The Ministry Of Health Regarding COVID-19 Students: The Health Office Checks Again, Hopefully Not A School Cluster

Jakarta Deputy Governor Riza Patria/VOI-Diah Ayu

JAKARTA - Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta Ahmad Riza Patria emphasized that his party was checking again the data from the Ministry of Health on the findings of 66 students in DKI that were positive for COVID-19.

“Hopefully that doesn't happen in the school cluster. We know the potential for transmission of the spread can be at home, on the way, at school, back home, and so on in other places. A place to study, a place to play, a place for children to stop by and so on,” said Riza Patria to reporters, Monday, September 27.

The Deputy Governor of DKI believes that the face-to-face learning process at 610 schools adheres to health protocols in a strict, disciplined and responsible manner.

"So we are sure that there will be no spread of COVID in schools. If later there are findings of children who are infected and not exposed at school, maybe on the way. Especially those who use public transportation or at places where they stop or play or at home and so on,” said Deputy Governor Riza.

"We ask for all good cooperation from all families at home, at school, on trips, all elements of society," he said.

Previously reported, Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin ensured that COVID-19 remained under control and denied that there were new clusters of spread after schools carried out face-to-face learning (PTM).

"So yesterday there were a lot of discussions or there were a lot of clusters circulating, that's actually not the case. We convey the data transparently," Budi said at a press conference after holding a limited meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) which was broadcast on the State Secretariat's YouTube, Monday, September 27.

He ensured that his party continued to carry out surveillance strategies or 3T, namely testing, tracing, and treatment to detect the spread of the virus, especially in teaching and learning activities.

The former Deputy Minister of SOEs explained that surveillance was carried out by taking samples or samples in a number of schools that carried out PTM. "From the 10 percent, we divide the allocation based on the sub-districts. So, which sub-district has more schools, it will automatically have more schools," said Budi.

Later, if there are schools with a positivity rate of more than 5 percent, they are required to conduct online learning for 14 days and the implementation of health protocols will be reviewed.

"So we make sure that we carry out surveillance at the lowest level. If there is a possibility of an outbreak exploding there, we will lock it in one school. Other schools that happen to be good will continue to run," said Budi.