Mayor Of Surabaya Eri Cahyadi Asks For Mass Swab Tests To Be Improved, Swab Hunters Ordered To Move Again

Health workers conduct an antigen swab test on residents during a health protocol operation (prokes) in the city of Surabaya, Saturday (5/2/2022) night. (ANTARA/HO-Diskominfo Surabaya)

SURABAYA - Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi asked his staff to reactivate mass swab tests, swab hunters and the implementation of testing, tracing and treatment (3T) in order to deal with the surge in COVID-19, especially the Omicron variant.

"If we reactivate the mass swab test, swab hunter and 3T, later we will know more about the clusters, at least tracing is 1:20. Don't let it become a time bomb like the Delta variant in 2021," said Mayor Eri Cahyadi in Surabaya, quoted by Antara. , Monday, February 7th.

According to him, this was done so that patients exposed to COVID-19 in Surabaya could be identified and treated quickly.

Mayor Eri Cahyadi previously said that his party would apply a random swab test in the village area in the city of Surabaya. Random testing will be prioritized for rural areas where cases of the Omicron variant were previously found.

Not only implementing a random swab test to prevent an increase in Omicron cases, Eri Cahyadi also encouraged the community to strengthen the Tangguh Village Task Force. This preventive measure is carried out to control the entry and exit of residents from outside the area.

"The Tangguh Village Task Force must be strengthened again, to better protect the village. Then, the position of residents who are traveling out of town must also be willing to do a PCR swab test," he said.

Meanwhile, Surabaya City Civil Service Police (Satpol PP) Head Eddy Christijanto said his party was taking various anticipatory steps according to the Surabaya Mayor's instructions, including conducting swab hunters, optimizing the PeduliLindung application in Public Entertainment Recreational Areas (RHU), setting opening hours. Close coffee shops, supermarkets, cafes, and more.

"We have sent letters to the sub-district and sub-district levels throughout Surabaya to carry out routine activities in order to anticipate and prevent the Omicron variant of COVID-19," he said.