Hotels for Medical Workers in Cirebon

A total of 112 health workers in Cirebon regency, West Java, have contracted COVID-19. They were infected inside and outside health facilities.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Health workers prepare an implementation for a swab test sample at the Regional Health Laboratory of Cirebon Regency, West Java, Monday (14/9/2020).

CIREBON, KOMPAS — To anticipate wider transmission and enable sick medical workers to recover, Cirebon regency plans to set up quarantine rooms in hotels for medical workers.

According to data from the Cirebon regency Health Office, as of Sunday (11/10/2020), 112 medical workers had contracted COVID-19 over the previous seven months. The health workers work in hospitals and community health centers (puskesmas) in Cirebon.

One medical worker has died, while 43 other medical workers are being treated in hospitals or undergoing independent isolation at home. The other 68 health workers have recovered.

Also read: Pay Attention to Safety of Health Workers

Cirebon regency Health Office head Eni Suhaeni said that medical workers had been provided standard personal protective equipment (PPE) in hospitals and puskesmas. They also regularly underwent swab tests.

However, medical workers have been infected inside and outside health facilities. "They could have been infected because the patients were symptomless. It could also be because of close contact with travelers and family clusters,” said Eni.

Also read: Improve Protection Healthcare Workers

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Health workers store swab test samples into tubes at the Covid-19 Center, Watubelah Stadium, Cirebon Regency, West Java, Thursday (11/6/2020).

More than half of the 946 positive COVID-19 cases in Cirebon are part of household clusters – where multiple members of the same family have the illness.

The health office is coordinating with hotel operators to prepare independent isolation rooms for medical workers. "There are no hotels that are available for it. However, we have already prepared the budget,” Eni said.

Also read: Healthcare Workers Risk Their Lives on the Frontline

The hotel isolation fund for medical workers is included in the Health Office’s Rp 43 billion budget for COVID-19 mitigation. Over 29 percent of the budget has been spent to purchase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing kits, personal protective equipment and other items.

Highest case number in eastern part of West Java

In order to curb positive cases, everyone must be disciplined in maintaining health protocols, including medical workers

Although steps to anticipate transmission have been taken, medical workers can still be exposed to COVID-19 amid a surge in positive cases. With 946 cases, Cirebon is the region with the highest number of positive cases in the eastern part of West Java. Of that number, 53 people have died and 221 people are in treatment.

"In order to curb positive cases, everyone must be disciplined in maintaining health protocols, including medical workers," said Eni. Swab testing has increased, and now 26,713 people have been tested, more than 1 percent of Cirebon’s residents.

Also read: On the Frontlines 24/7

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Sample mass swab test at the Regional Health Laboratory of Cirebon Regency, West Java, Monday (14/9/2020).

Catur Setiya Sulistiyana, the dean of the Swadaya Gunung Jati University School of Medicine in Cirebon, said medical workers were at risk of contracting the virus outside health facilities because they were not wearing complete personal protective equipment at home and in public. "Moreover, residents\' activities tend to be normal, like before the pandemic," he said.

Catur encouraged Cirebon regency to limit the mobility of citizens to prevent a spike in COVID-19 cases. The Cirebon city administration, for example, requires commercial activity, services and office work to cease at 6:00 p.m. daily. This is similar to what has been done in the cities of Depok and Bogor.

Restaurants and street vendors are barred from serving customers on site from 06:00 p.m. to 09:00 p.m. daily. "This step is effective if it is consistently executed and is followed by the regions around Cirebon," Catur said.