Positive COVID-19 Employee, Head Of KPU: Becomes A Real Simulation Of Pilkada Voting

KPU office (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian General Elections Commission (KPU) Arief Budiman said that the findings of an employee who was confirmed positive for COVID-19 became a real lesson and simulation for the 2020 Regional Head Election (Pilkada) voting day.

Reporting from Antara, Arief Budiman said the confirmation of an employee was positive for COVID-19 was close to the simulation of the election day for the elections to be held at the KPU RI Office on Wednesday, July 22.

The results of the employee's swab examination did not come out on Monday, July 20, after taking the swab test at the Tebet Health Center on Friday, July 17.

"This will be a lesson for everyone. On voting day, this happens before (simulation) voting day. So if we face this kind of situation, what steps should be taken, it becomes a real simulation," he said, Tuesday, July 21. .

With this experience, he said, the KPU could also formulate steps and actions for handling if positive confirmation of COVID-19 was found before voting day, December 9.

"Today we also ask for input from related institutions when facing a situation like this, including (other obstacles) ahead of voting such as heavy rain. Equipment that must be secured, and so on," he said.

The Indonesian KPU will continue to carry out the simultaneous 2020 Pilkada voting simulation activities with strict health protocols on Wednesday, July 22.

The simulation, he said, involved as many as 500 people like the real conditions at one polling place (TPS) for the regional elections.

A number of KPU employees who have been planned to be involved in the simulation will continue to follow the simulation as usual, even after an employee is confirmed positive for COVID-19.

"So some employees as voters in the simulation of pilkada voting (which is held at the KPU office), they will still come to vote, for WFH they work from home, not not work," he said.

After the simulation, employees will be enforced to work from home for 3 days until July 24, except for employees who really have to work from the office because they are preparing for election needs.

Chronology of positive COVID-19 KPU employees

Arief said that initially the wife of the KPU employee tested positive for COVID-19 after the results of the swab test came out on Thursday, July 16. The day after, on Friday, July 17, the KPU employee conducted a swab test. His test results only came out on Tuesday, July 20 and tested positive.

"He is a new expert at the KPU, only since July 1 and July 16, he has requested permission for WFH," said Arief.

Arief explained, as a precautionary measure, the KPU will trace people who have had contact with patients, and impose 14 days of rapid tests and independent isolation from the experts asking permission to work from home (WFH).

"We have rapid and negative tests for the same room as employees. The room is also temporarily closed, for the KPU RI Office, everything is disinfected," said the Head of KPU.

He explained that the work room for experts who were confirmed positive for COVID-19 was not directly connected to the main rooms of the KPU Office.

"The room is at the far left on the lower floor, the separate room is not connected to other rooms including the main building," said Arief.