VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta. The COVID-19 Handling Task Force has reported a sharp rise in coronavirus infections among the office space cluster in Jakarta in the last two weeks.

"From 5 to 11 April 2021, there were 157 positive COVID-19 cases in 78 offices. Meanwhile, from 12 to 18 April, 2021, the number went up to 425 cases in 177 offices," said Wiku Adisasmito, government sokesperson for COVID-19 handling and experts team coordinator, at an online press conference here on Tuesday.

The figure is based on data collected by the Jakarta provincial government, he informed.

In view of the emergence of a number of positive cases in offices, the task force has urged local governments to impose closures on office operations, Adisasmito said.

During the closures, disinfecting measures will need to be carried out in all office spaces to eliminate all possible viruses that may have been left behind, he added.

He also called for testing and tracing measures to be carried out, especially against those who have had close contact with positive cases, in order to curb widespread infections and the emergence of new clusters.

"Optimize the COVID-19 task forces in the offices. If there is yet to be a task force (set up) in the office, then one should be formed," he said.

Performance evaluations should be done against existing task forces, he added.

He also asked offices operating under the Micro Social Activity Restrictions implementation (PPKM) to continue referring to the Home Affairs Minister's instruction Number 9 of 2021 on ensuring a maximum of 50 percent occupancy in offices, with strict implementation of health protocols.

"Local governments have been asked to translate this instruction into local regulations as a clear law enforcement base," he added.

He also said the spike in cases in Jakarta must be taken as a lesson for other areas. "So that other regions that are not implementing the PPKM can immediately regulate this in a clear manner in their local regulations in order to ensure that social-economic activities can continue, under the circumstances, that are safe from COVID-19," he added. (Antaranews)