"Surakarta's 402 COVID-19 infected residents that are asymptomatic or experiencing mild symptoms are currently undergoing self-isolation at centralized isolation facilities provided by the government," Surakarta Police Chief Senior Commissioner Ade Safri Simanjuntak stated here on Monday.
Surakarta's COVID-19 Handling Task Force and the COVID-19 Patients Evacuation Task Force had earlier shifted 47 asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients from their respective houses to self-isolation facilities on Sunday (July 25).
Ambulances provided by the regional health center evacuated the 47 patients to two locations. Asymptomatic patients were shifted to the Jebres Junior High School (SMP) 8 isolation centre, while patients experiencing mild symptoms were moved to the Panularan Primary School (SD) 6 isolation facility.
Simanjuntak noted that Surakarta's COVID-19 Handling, supported by the municipal authority and the District Military Command 0735/Surakarta, had decided to evacuate COVID-19 patients to centralized isolation facilities as a response to the currently volatile COVID-19 infection rate in Surakarta.
Isolating patients at centralized locations is expected to protect healthy residents from further infection, and the authority will be able to provide more effective treatment to the isolated patients, he stated.
The Surakarta municipal authority has prepared three self-isolation locations for patients with mild symptoms in SDN Panularan 6, SDN Cemara 2, and SMPN 25. Five centralized isolation facilities have also been readied for asymptomatic patients.
Simanjuntak noted that the authority had prepared adequate facilities for the patients during their stay in self-isolation facilities to facilitate their recovery. Competent health workers will provide nutritious foods, vitamins, and necessary medicines to the patients as well as conduct observation and offer medical assistance.
"What is important (for us currently) is to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by asymptomatic patients," he stated.
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Translator: Bambang DM, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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