In the first stage, we will conduct the test on 12 thousand workers for 12 days, or one thousand tests per day.Cikarang, Bekasi (ANTARA) - About 12 thousand factory workers in Bekasi district, West Java will take part in a mass COVID-19 swab test as more than half the confirmed cases in the district have come from the industry sector.
Deputy head of Bekasi district’s COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Hendra Gunawan, confirmed that the mass swab test would be conducted soon once the authorities prepare the isolation center.
"We are preparing the location for the isolation center over concerns that the swab test will lead to an increase in the number of positive cases," Gunawan said here on Monday.
According to Gunawan, about 60 percent of COVID-19 confirmed cases in the district have been reported from industry clusters.
The mass test would be conducted by the West Java administration in stages, with the support of the Indonesian military and police, he informed.
"In the first stage, we will conduct the test on 12 thousand workers for 12 days, or one thousand tests per day," he added.
Gunawan, who is concurrently the Bekasi Metro Police chief, said the mass swab test is expected to identify asymptomatic workers.
"This is part of efforts to cut the transmission of COVID-19. Those who test positive can get medical treatment and undergo quarantine in the isolation center," he said.
Currently, the authorities have increased the room capacity at the isolation center at the Wisma President University Jababeka in Simpangan village of North Cikarang sub-district from 60 to more than 500 rooms, Gunawan added. (INE)
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Translator: Pradita K Syah, Sri Haryati
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