Commenting on a confirmed COVID-19 case at the KPU-Papua office, the Bawaslu-Papua Office's commissioner, Ronald Manoach, told local journalists here on Wednesday that the KPU authority was also advised to take several preventive measures.
In addition to massive swab testing, sterilizing the KPU-Papua Office's building is also required to make sure that all stages of the simultaneous regional elections in the province can be executed as scheduled, he said.
The KPU-Papua Office had confirmed earlier that one of the commission's members had contracted the novel coronavirus disease and had been admitted to a local hospital.
“Currently, the commission's member is being treated at the hospital's isolation ward,” secretary of the KPU-Papua Provincial Office, Ryllo Ashuri Panay, said.
To halt the potential spread of COVID-19, the commission authority will disinfect the KPU office, organize swab testing for the commission's members and employees at its secretariat, and activate a work-from-home policy.
The WFH policy will be effective from September 10 to September 17, 2020, Panay added.
The KPU offices in nine provinces, 224 districts, and 37 cities are busily preparing for all stages of the regional elections, which will be held simultaneously on December 9, 2020.
In Papua province, eligible Papuan voters from the districts of Waropen, Supiori, Merauke, Yalimo, Boven Digul, Asmat, Mamberamo Raya, Nabire, Keerom, Pegunungan Bintang, and Yahukimo will exercise their democratic right to vote.
Ahead of the regional election, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has highlighted the importance of applying strict COVID-19 prevention health protocols during every stage of the polls as public health remains an unwavering priority.
According to the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI), several violations of the health protocols occurred during the registration process for candidates contesting this year's regional elections, held on September 4-6.
The violations were observed in cities and districts such as Medan in North Sumatra, Solo in Central Java, Karawang district in West Java, and Surabaya in East Java, where people had gathered in motorcades to show their support for candidates.
For this year's regional elections, President Jokowi has ordered Home Minister Tito Karnavian and National Police Chief, Gen. Idham Azis, to take strict action to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (INE)
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: Hendrina DK, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
