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An official of the Dayun sub-district office, Riau Province, wears a distance-sensor device. (ANTARA/HO-Dayun subdistrict office/gtm)

Civil servants in Dayun Sub-district, Siak District, Riau Province, have begun wearing a distance-sensor device around their neck to maintain physical distancing at the workplace while lowering the risk of contracting novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The distance-sensor device was named "senjata," which translates to weapon in Indonesian, Novendra Kasmara, the Dayun chief, stated on Saturday.

"Despite its name, it is not a sharp and dangerous object. This device is designed to alert officials in office to maintain the requisite safe distance," he stated while adding that "senjata" is the abbreviation for "sensor jarak kita," or loosely translated as "sensors for (maintaining) our distance".

"Everyone in the sub-district office must wear this sensor device at the workplace. When we are less than a meter apart from the other person, it will emit a loud warning sound," he expounded.

The distance-sensor device is the latest innovation designed by the sub-district office ahead of the new normal, a term coined by the Indonesian government that urges the public to revert to productive and healthy routine activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The sub-district chief noted that all village offices and communities were introduced to the new normal campaign. It is mandatory for all visiting the Dayun office to abide by the health protocols, including temperature checks and washing hands at the portable basin near the entrance.

"All visitors are required to wear face masks at all times. If they do not have one, we will provide the mask for them," he added.

Dayun, one of the province’s main palm oil producers, had reported a COVID-19 positive case, though the patient recovered from the disease.

In the meantime, four positive cases were reported in Siak District, though all the patients had recovered. (ANTARA)