Unfinished Self-Isolation, 7 Papuan XX PON Athletes Return To Home Area

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Health Minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, said there were seven Papua XX National Sports Week (PON) athletes who were released from quarantine and returned to their home areas after being tested positive for COVID-19.

"We have observed that seven athletes who have been identified as positive have managed to get out of isolation before their self-isolation is complete", Budi said in an online press conference broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Monday, October 11.

The athletes, he continued, came from Tarakan, North Kalimantan, Jambi, Sidoarjo, East Java, and DI Yogyakarta.

"One (home, red) to Tarakan, two to Jambi, three to Sidoarjo, and one to Jogja", said the former Deputy Minister of SOEs.

Finding this, Budi then asked that the unnamed athletes could immediately undergo self-isolation in their area of origin. This request, he said, was in line with President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi) order.

"At the direction of the President, athletes who rush back to their places of origin before the isolation is complete can immediately be quarantined or isolated at the arrival point", said Budi.

Previously, he had explained that there were 83 positive cases of COVID-19 that were confirmed in the middle of the XX Papua PON until today or Monday, October 11th. According to him, this number continues to increase compared to the previous day and is mostly found in athletes from judo to cricket.

"As for Papua, as of yesterday, 65 confirmed cases have been identified and as of this afternoon, there have been 83 confirmed cases, which are concentrated in several sports, such as judo, rollerblading, motocross, archery and cricket", Budi said in a press conference broadcast on Monday. on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube.

He then explained that the addition of active cases in the middle of the sports competition was caused by several things. Including, due to the athletes sleeping in a room occupied by more than two people.

"Our observations show that the transmission was caused because the athlete's room was occupied by about four people", said the former Deputy Minister of State-Owned Enterprises.

In addition, eating together by athletes and officials also led to the spread of COVID-19.

"This is a record so that in the future at big events like this there will be improvements (application, ed) of health protocols that we can do", said Budi.

"In addition, we observe that the discipline of implementing health protocols can still be improved by giving greater authority to the COVID-19 Task Force in the regions", he said.