Six buildings were readied to serve as temporary shelters for migrant workers before they can be sent to their respective villagesJakarta (ANTARA) - The Social Affairs Ministry has readied six buildings in some regions to function as temporary shelters to quarantine Indonesian migrant workers, who had returned from Malaysia amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Six buildings were readied to serve as temporary shelters for migrant workers before they can be sent to their respective villages," Director General of Social Rehabilitation of the Ministry Harry Hikmat remarked here on Saturday.
Hikmat revealed that the six buildings are the Shelter and Trauma Center (RPTC) in Bambu Apus, East Jakarta; RPTC in Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands; Balai Mulya Jaya in Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta; Balai Napza Bambu Apus; and Balai Insyaf and Balai Bahagia in Medan, North Sumatra.
Hikmat noted that the trauma center in Tanjungpinang had accommodated 400 workers since March 16, while the RPTC in Bambu Apus had sheltered 130 workers, and Balai Mulya Jaya had tended to 108 workers. Three other buildings are still vacant and are being readied to quarantine migrant workers.
"The RPTC in Tanjungpinang and Bambu Apus have been used to shelter migrant workers and victims of human trafficking," he noted.
During the quarantine period, the authority will conduct rapid testing on migrant workers for diagnosis of coronavirus and share information on health protocol to cut the chain of COVID-19 transmission.
"After the rapid test, they will receive a certificate of health to confirm that they are not infected with the virus, so they can return to their villages without fear of being rejected by the locals," he explained.
The minister had earlier sent 51 workers sheltered at the RPTC in Bambu Apus to their home towns after they are tested negative for coronavirus.
In its first stage on Thursday (April 16), one migrant worker was returned to East Nusa Tenggara, 27 workers to Surabaya in East Java, and 13 workers to Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. In its second stage, the authority has sent 11 migrant workers to Surabaya, East Java. Related news: Returning migrant workers testing negative for COVID-19 sent home
Related news: COVID-19: TNI on alert to prevent illegal border crossing
Translator: Desi Purnamawati, Sri Haryati
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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