This Year, 171 Students And Teachers In Yogyakarta Have Been Affected By COVID-19

Photo via Antara

JAKARTA - Throughout January to mid-February this year, there were 171 students and teachers at the kindergarten to junior high school levels who were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19. Luckily the majority of them do not experience symptoms of illness.

According to government data, during that period COVID-19 attacked 141 students and 30 teachers/educational staff at schools.

"According to the rules, schools will be closed or teaching and learning activities will be suspended directly if cases are found in schools," said Head of the Yogyakarta City Youth and Sports Education Office, Budi Ashrori in Yogyakarta, Thursday, February 17, as reported by Antara.

He explained that cases of corona virus infection in students and teachers were found in tracking COVID-19 cases in students and teachers at schools.

The Yogyakarta City Youth and Sports Education Office is actively carrying out surveillance by conducting random checks on students who take part in face-to-face learning at school.

"Covid-19 checks by taking samples of 10 percent of students who undergo face-to-face learning are still being carried out. Sometimes there are findings and then a close contact tracing is carried out," said Budi.

He said that the temporary closure of schools where students and/or teachers contracted COVID-19 was carried out in accordance with recommendations from the COVID-19 task force and local health centers. As long as the school is temporarily closed, teaching and learning activities will again be carried out via online.

"Sometimes it is closed for five to 10 days, depending on the cases found at the school. Most are closed for five days. However, safety and health must be prioritized," said Budi.

The Yogyakarta City Youth and Sports Education Office also evaluates the implementation of health protocols in schools regularly to ensure all schools carry out health protocols in a disciplined manner.

"The community and students on average feel happy when they can study again at school. Of course, strict implementation of health protocols is very important to do," said Budi.

Yogyakarta Mayor Haryadi Suyuti reminded schools to ensure health protocols are implemented during face-to-face learning.

"If there is a case, it must be evaluated how the health protocol is implemented at the school. Have you checked the temperature when the students arrived, washed their hands or not, and other health protocols according to the procedure," he said.