"There are at least seven schools that we have temporarily closed. We will see the progress," Deputy Governor of Jakarta, Ahmad Riza Patria, said at Jakarta City Hall on Thursday.
However, he did not provide details regarding the temporarily closed schools, including the number of infections.
Despite the detection of COVID-19 cases in schools, the government has not stopped the implementation of 100-percent face-to-face learning in all schools, Patria emphasized.
So far, the government's strategy has been to temporarily close certain schools where cases of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including the Omicron variant, have been detected, he informed.
He said the Jakarta administration has decided to not close all schools because the capital still meets the requirement for implementing face-to-face learning at 100-percent capacity.
He added that the decision for temporary school closure was based on the number of people exposed to the virus.
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If the number of people exposed is not more than five percent, then a temporary closure is carried out for five days, and if it is above five percent, a temporary closure is carried out for 14 days, he elaborated.
During the temporary closure, the school will evaluate the implementation of face-to-face learning and disinfect classrooms.
Earlier, Jakarta 71 State Senior High School, Duren Sawit, Jakarta, had halted face-to-face learning after one student tested positive for COVID-19.
Head of Jakarta 71 State Senior High School, Acep Mahmudin, confirmed that the student had contracted the Omicron variant.
The Indonesian government recently allowed schools to start face-to-face learning at 100-percent capacity through the issuance of the Four Ministries Joint Decree regarding the Guidelines for the Implementation of Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The joint decree allows regions with Level 1 and 2 public activity restrictions (PPKM) to implement 100-percent face-to-face learning.
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Translator: Dewa Ketut, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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