Govt to Implement COVID-19 Management Protocols

The government has said it will implement protocols for proper COVID-19 management. At the same time, a task force has been established to track down more cases.

KOMPAS/PANDU WIYOGA

The condition of a hospital at a former Vietnamese refugee camp on Galang Island, Batam, Riau Islands, on Wednesday (4/3/2020). The building will be restored into a special hospital for COVID-19 patients and other infectious diseases.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The government has said it will start implementing COVID-19 management protocols to curb the spread of the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Meanwhile, new suspected cases have emerged.

After a COVID-19 management coordination meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday (4/3/2020), Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko explained that ministries and relevant government agencies had prepared four protocols for COVID-19 management. These four protocols are related to health, communications, education and cross-border prevention.

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The COVID-19 management coordination meeting was attended by Communications and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate, Deputy Religious Affairs Minister Zainut Tauhid Saadi, Health Ministry Disease Control and Prevention Director General Anung Sugihantono and Presidential expert staff coordinator Ari Dwipayana.

The Health Ministry’s health protocol regulates procedures to manage suspected and positive COVID-19 and patients to ensure their recovery. Meanwhile, the communications protocol, created by the Home Ministry and the Communications and Information Ministry, is to ensure coordinated information dissemination on the disease by the central and local governments. The protocol also aims to protect suspected and positive patients’ personal information. “The protocol regulates treatment for patients to prevent their names, addresses and other personal information from getting published,” Moeldoko said.

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KOMPAS/MACHRADIN WAHYUDI RITONGA

Officers of the West Java COVID-19 Information and Coordination Center monitor information and reports in the media related to the novel coronavirus in Gedung Sate, Bandung, West Java, on Wednesday (4/3/2020).

The education protocol seeks to protect students at schools. Religious boarding schools and places of worship are also the focal points of the protocol created by the Education and Culture Ministry and the Religious Affairs Ministry.

Meanwhile, the cross-border prevention protocol is created by the Law and Human Rights Ministry’s immigration director general. Other than a health check, citizens of certain countries that have become COVID-19 epicenters, namely Japan, Iran, South Korea and Italy, are also required to submit health certificates. Their travel history will be a point of consideration in allowing them entry to Indonesia.

Vice President Ma’ruf Amin said the government’s anticipatory steps included tightening entry for Indonesians and foreigners as well as tracing their travel routes. Apart from preparing referral hospitals, the government also ensures the readiness of staple needs and medicines.

KOMPAS/PRADIPTA PANDU MUSTIKA

Officers of the Bogor General Hospital (RSUD) in Bogor, West Java, show isolation rooms for patients with symptoms of COVID-19 on Wednesday (4/3/2020).

Task force

Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy said the government had created a task force to track down more COVID-19 cases.

The task force will track down and check persons with known contact with COVID-19-positive patients. Among the cases was that of a New Zealander female COVID-19-positive patient who transited in Bali on her way home from Iran by air. The government has examined around 30 persons who have had contact with the patient. All of them have been declared COVID-19-negative.

Depok Mayor Mohammad Idris said his administration would continue monitoring the condition of 73 health professionals and staff members of Mitra Keluarga Hospital who had contact with the two COVID-19-positive patients when they checked their health there. The 73 persons are not isolated as they do not show any symptoms.

To anticipate the further spread of COVID-19, the Health Ministry is adding more locations to test specimens for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the disease. There are 10 locations spread in several regions. Health Ministry Disease Control and Prevention Directorate General’s secretary, Achmad Yurianto, said other labs were involved in the Health Research and Development Agency’s (Balitbangkes) network. There are 132 COVID-19 referral hospitals with isolation wards.

KOMPAS/PANDU WIYOGA

Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto (second left) and Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadi Muljono (second right) visit on Wednesday (4/3/2020) the hospital of a former Vietnamese refugee camp on Galang Island, Batam, Riau Islands, which will be renovated into a hospital for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

Balitbangkes data as of 3 March 2020 on 6 p.m. showed that 168 specimens from 48 hospitals had been checked for COVID-19. Of these cases, two were positive, nine were still in progress and the rest negative.

The government is also planning to build a COVID-19 hospital on Galang Island in Batam, Riau Islands. Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto said a hospital for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases with a capacity of 1,000 patients and 50 isolation wards would be built at the location.

Home Minister Tito Karnavian said regional heads should not issue improper statements on COVID-19. Regional administrations should urge locals not to panic and to implement preventive measures.

Several regional administrations, including those of Bali, East Java, Yogyakarta Special Region and South Sulawesi, have conducted Covid-19 prevention efforts. Apart from preparing isolation wards, the administrations also check on the availability of face masks in the market and conduct healthy meal campaigns to boost immunity. The Bali administration, for instance, has prepared three regional hospitals as referral hospitals.

KOMPAS/DEFRI WERDIONO

A large banner about COVID-19 is installed in front of Soepraoen Hospital on Jl Supriadi, Malang city, East Java, as photographed on Wednesday (4/3/2020).

(NTA/INA/TAN/BRO/NDU/REN/HRS/MTK/NIK/WEK/COK)