Although School COVID-19 Cases Are Found Again, Anies' Men: Online Learning Is Not Necessary

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has again temporarily closed schools due to the findings of COVID-19 cases. In response to this, the Head of Public Health of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Health Office, Friana Asmely, said that online learning through distance learning (PJJ) was not necessary.

Because, according to the central government's decision, regions that implement the Level 1 Implementation of Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) still apply 100 percent face-to-face learning (PTM).

"There is no need to do online (learning) yet, according to a joint decree of 4 ministers, namely the Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, the Minister of Religion, the Minister of Health, and the Minister of Home Affairs. The regulations are clear," Friana said when contacted, Wednesday. , July 27.

Therefore, if a cluster of COVID-19 cases is found, the school will be temporarily closed (lockdown) for 14 days.

In this case, Friana revealed that the Health Office coordinates with the Education Office to monitor the implementation of health protocols in each school through the puskesmas.

Then, the puskesmas reports in stages through the department in each administrative city, up to the DKI Health Office.

If COVID-19 cases are found in students, teachers, and education staff, the Health Office will trace contacts to school residents who are in close contact.

"So the team from the sub-district health center immediately goes down if there is a positive in the school to find close contacts around the infected students for tracking or active case finding," said Friana.

As is known, the temporary closure of schools due to the findings of COVID-19 cases in Jakarta was again carried out amid an increase in global COVID-19 cases, after previously sloping down.

Now one school in Jakarta, namely SMP Negeri 85 Pondok Labu, Cilandak, South Jakarta, has been locked down for 10 days from 18 to 28 July 2022. Cilandak sub-district head Djaharuddin explained the chronology of the case findings at the school.

On Thursday, July 14, 2022, there was a report of a class VIII B student being confirmed positive for COVID-19. The student was still in school the day before. The local health center immediately conducted contact tracing.

"As a follow-up, class VIII B was closed for 5 days and tracing was carried out on Friday, July 15, 2022 at the Cilandak Sub-district Health Center. Tracing was carried out on 41 close contacts," Djaharuddin told reporters, Thursday, July 21.

Then, on Monday, July 18, 2022, another case of COVID-19 was found in class IX F students. However, Djaharuddin said this case had no contact with the previous case.

Furthermore, on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, there was a close contact from a COVID-19 case of a class IX F student who was also confirmed positive for the corona virus. Thus, there are 3 cases of COVID-19 recorded at SMPN 85.

"Because positive cases were found as a result of close contacts with index cases, school clusters and schools were closed for 10 days for spraying of disinfectant," explained Djaharuddin.