Self-isolation facilities managed by the central government or the BNPB will now be controlled by local governments, head of health handling at the COVID-19 Task Force, Alexander K Ginting, said.
"Management at the local government (level) will be more efficient and effective because it can directly touch the root of the problem of isolating residents who are positive for COVID-19," Ginting told ANTARA in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Though they will now be managed by local governments, the central government will continue to bear the cost of operating the self-isolation facilities in hotels, inns, and guesthouses, he added.
The transfer of control of the management of the self-isolation facilities to local governments would be carried out in stages, he informed.
According to Ginting, the process of transferring control of self-isolation facilities to the local government in DKI Jakarta began on Tuesday.
The DKI Jakarta provincial government has prepared 29 isolation centers for residents affected by COVID-19 and six facilities for health workers from referral hospitals handling coronavirus infections.
In East Java’s Bangkalan, the local government has prepared six hospitals to handle COVID-19 patients, Ginting said.
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The regional governments in Kudus (Central Java) and Medan (North Sumatra) have also prepared health and quarantine facilities to tackle the spread of COVID-19 in their respective regions, he added.
According to him, local governments have demonstrated their capability in handling COVID-19 patients.
"If there is a need for central support, there will be coordination," he added.
However, in managing self-isolation facilities, local governments must still refer to the provisions set by the central government, he said. (INE)
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Translator: Devi N, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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