We will discuss the continuation of face-to-face learning in each school as part of the evaluation. From the reports we received, 45 students have tested positive for COVID-19, not including the two students of South Tambun 6 State Senior High SchoolBekasi, W Java (ANTARA) - The government of Bekasi district, West Java, has said it is planning to evaluate the implementation of face-to-face or offline learning in response to dozens of students testing positive for COVID-19.
"We will discuss the continuation of face-to-face learning in each school as part of the evaluation. From the reports we received, 45 students have tested positive for COVID-19, not including the two students of South Tambun 6 State Senior High School," spokesperson for the Bekasi district COVID-19 Task Force Alamsyah said here on Tuesday.
The students were most likely exposed to the virus outside school and not when they participated in face-to-face learning, he added.
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"They got infected outside of school. Thus, (they got infected) when they were doing activities outside with their parents or other activities, not during face-to-face learning," he remarked.
The spokesperson confirmed that he had scheduled a coordination meeting with officials to anticipate a spike in COVID-19 cases in the district.
He deemed that fast handling is necessary to determine the status of public activity restrictions (PPKM) in Bekasi district, which is currently still at Level 2.
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Regions implementing Level 2 PPKM are still allowed to implement limited face-to-face learning in schools, he noted.
"Based on the Joint Decree of the four ministers, it is still possible to implement face-to-face learning in regions with Level 2 PPKM. Until today, there has been no policy to close schools. Later, we will have a meeting with the Central Task Force regarding the level; then, we will evaluate face-to-face learning," he informed.
He asserted that the task force is currently intensifying tracing, testing, and treatment efforts in schools that have recorded COVID-19 infections.
"If there are cases like this, we will conduct contact tracing, then conduct testing massively in order to minimize COVID-19 transmission at schools during face-to-face learning," he affirmed.
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Translator: Pradita Kurniawan, Raka Adji
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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