Public Spaces Put People at Risk for Covid-19 Infection

New confirmed Covid-19 cases are on the rise in Bogor city, West Java. The alertness of residents in public spaces should be heightened by observing health protocols because anyone could be spreading Covid-19.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

A row of school buses to facilitate the transportation of commuter line passengers line the western side of Bogor Station on Jl. Mayor Oking, Bogor city, Monday (13/7/2020).

New confirmed Covid-19 cases are on the rise in Bogor city, West Java. The alertness of residents in public spaces should be heightened by observing health protocols because anyone could be carrying and spreading Covid-19.

Chairman of the Bogor Covid-19 Rapid Response Task Force, Didie A. Rachim, said Bogor city was not safe from Covid-19 transmission due to the continued hike in new confirmed cases. Increased vigilance in public spaces should be given due attention.

“The movement of residents in public spaces needs to exercise caution and comply with health protocols. Learning from the cases of Yogya Bogor Junction Supermarket and Barangansiang Terminal, we are not fully safe yet. Public spaces are vulnerable to the spread of the virus,” said Dedie on Tuesday (14/7/2020).

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Based on the Covid-19 data of Bogor city on Tuesday (14/7/2020), said Dedie, there were 11 new asymptomatic people (OTG), bringing the total to 101. Two more people under monitoring (ODP) were listed to bring the total to 39 and 4 more people under surveillance (PDP) registered to bring their number to 48. Overall, the total confirmed cases reached 213, comprising 154 recoveries, 41 patients under treatment and 18 deaths.

As shown by the data, said Dedie, the number of OTG was quite high. Therefore, it’s important for the Bogor city government to intensify rapid tests and swab tests for the mapping of locations prone to Covid-19 transmission so as to enable Covid-19 surveillance and detection teams to trace and track residents already in contact with confirmed cases.

“In public spaces like railway stations, terminals, shopping centers and others we have no idea by whom the virus is spread. People appearing to be healthy with no symptoms of illness can be virus carriers, which we should watch out for. OTG can be anywhere. So we are intensifying health tests to find out these OTG residents in order to prevent any further transmission of the virus,” added Dedie.

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KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Several medical workers pass an escalator after subjecting a number employees to mass swab tests at a shopping centes on Jalan Sudirman, Bogor city, Monday (13/7/2020).

Dedie indicated that the Bogor city government’s health test intensification should go along with a proper level of discipline and adherence to health protocols.

As already reported in Kompas (13/7/2020), 191 employees of Yogya Bogor Junction Supermarket underwent rapid tests and swab tests after one of them was tested positive for Covid-19.

Dedie said a swab test result at the Regional General Hospital of Bogor city had found one employee of Yogya Bogor Junction Supermarket to be a confirmed Covid-19 case.

We’re still in the pandemic period. Let’s take care of ourselves and our families.

“We promptly followed up. A surveillance team of the Health Office assisted by a Covid-19 detection team directly carried out the mapping, tracing and tracking of the employee tested positive. This morning the teams also imposed health tests on 191 supermarket employees. Their present status is ODP. The supermarket is now temporarily closed for three days. Hopefully this won’t be a new cluster,” said Dedie on Monday (13/7/2020).

Dedie continued that the teams did not yet know for sure whether the employee had been infected in the community environment, public transportation means, the place of work or at home.

“The certain thing is that this employee has fairly high mobility and often goes by public transportation to the workplace and back home, But it can’t be determined yet if the employee was infected in public transportation means. That’s why we are tracing. The point is that alertness should be maintained, everywhere we should observe health protocols. We’re still in the pandemic period. Let’s take care of ourselves and our families,” said Dedie.

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KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

An employee of a shopping center on Jalan Sudirman, Bogor city, follows a mass swab test, Monday (13/7/2020).

Dedie appealed that for the purpose of breaking the chain of Covid-19 transmission, residents of Bogor city who had been shopping at Yogya Bogor Junction Supermarket during 25 June-9 July 2020 should join rapid tests and swab tests.

To Bogor city residents, Dedie affirmed that the tests arranged by the Bogor Health Office were offered free of charge.

Bogor citizens who remember having visited or shopped at Yogya Bogor Junction Supermarket during 25 June-9 July 2020 can immediately register on https://bit.ly/form_Pendaftaran_SWAB for swab tests.

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Head of the Bogor Health Office, Sri Nowo Retno, said the Yogya Bogor Juction employee tested positive was sales promotion girl (SPG).

Before the case was confirmed, said Retno, Yogya Bogor Junction that started operation from 22 June initiated employees’ rapid tests on Thursday (9/7/2020). The tests were based on the circular of the Trade Minister requiring business players to ascertain their employees’ Covid-19-free status, at least by means of rapid tests.

Results of the rapid tests showed that one employee, an SPG, indicated a reactive outcome. The company asked this employee to follow a swab test at the Bogor Regional General Hospital on Friday (10/7/2020).

“The swab test determined the employee’s confirmed status. The Covid-19 Rapid Response Task Force of Bogor city arranged coordination with the company to subject its employees to health tests and temporarily close the supermarket for three days starting from Monday (13/7/2020),” said Retno.

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KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

It’s the atmosphere of a deserted shopping center on Jalan Sudirman, Bogor city, which has to be temporarily closed, Monday (13/7/2020).

Meanwhile, Yogya Bogor Jakarta Junction Area Manager Endang Yudi expressed preparedness to keep compliance and be committed to implement health protocols. Besides closing the supermarket and conducting health tests, the company also cleans the goods of each tenant.

“The management will routinely order disinfectant sprayings when the store opens and closes. In dealing with several food products, we destroy them for fear of allowing the virus to get stuck,” said Yudi.

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Besides at Yogya Bogor Junction, confirmed cases were also found at Baranangsiang Terminal. Head of the Bogor Health Office concurrently spokesperson for the Bogor Covid-19 Rapid Response Task Force, Sri Nowo Retno, said out of 114 random samples of participants of health tests on Friday (10/7/2020), seven were confirmed Covid-19 cases.

“Of the 7 confirmed cases, 3 were Bogor city residents and 4 came from Jakarta and Bogor regency. So we’re now tracing and tracking residents in close contact with the 3 confirmed cases, while for the other 4 we arrange coordination and assessment with local task forces in order to monitor them,” said Retno.

Retno added that the Bogor city government would intensify rapid testing and swab tests in public spaces, including terminals, railway stations, shopping centers and other such areas. The tests aim to map the spread of Covid-19 during pre-adaptation period of the new normal.