Schools In Yogyakarta Proposed As COVID-19 Quarantine Places

JAKARTA - Various efforts to fulfill the handling facilities continue to be carried out by the Yogyakarta COVID-19 Handling Task Force, one of which is the use of school buildings. So far, seven school buildings have been proposed for quarantine.

"There are already about seven that have been submitted. We are waiting for submissions from the kelurahan. Are there any additions or not," said Heroe Poerwadi, Head of the Yogyakarta COVID-19 Handling Task Force in Yogyakarta, quoted by Antara, Thursday, July 15.

According to him, school buildings, especially elementary schools, which are spread almost evenly in each kelurahan can be used as quarantine places for healthy residents, but at home there are positive confirmed patients undergoing independent isolation.

"So, those who will occupy these school buildings are healthy residents whose homes are self-isolating patients," he said.

The goal is to separate healthy citizens from patients so that transmission can be prevented. "If you are forced to live in the same house even though the conditions at home are not possible, then transmission may occur. This is what we are trying to avoid," he said.

Even though they are healthy and have been separated from patients who are confirmed positive, residents who are undergoing quarantine in school buildings are still asked to comply with health protocols.

"After all, we still have to be in strict isolation for five days to ensure there is no transmission. Health protocols must still be followed," he said.

The quarantine monitoring in the school building will be carried out by the COVID-19 Handling Task Force in the village.

A number of school buildings that will later be used as quarantine places must also meet certain requirements, such as the size of the yard.

"That's a consideration from the Task Force in the kelurahan because not all school buildings have large yards," he said, adding that there was already a permit from the Youth and Sports Education Office regarding the use of school buildings for quarantine.

As of Wednesday, July 14, the total active cases of COVID-19 in Yogyakarta City were recorded at 4,213 cases, after that day there were 376 new cases added, with 233 patients recovering or completing isolation and eight patients dying.