"There has been coordination with the Health Office and other related parties," head of the Yogyakarta City Education, Youth, and Sports Office, Budhi Asrori, informed here on Tuesday.
According to Asrori, health screening is among the preventive measures taken by the government to curb COVID-19 transmission during face-to-face learning activities at schools.
"Teaching and learning activities have been carried out normally. Class hours are also full, so health screening is needed, especially since there are several new variants (of COVID-19) that have emerged," he said.
The health screening would involve random COVID-19 PCR testing and will target elementary and junior high school students in the city, he informed.
If a student tests positive for COVID-19, the infected student's classroom will be closed for five days.
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Meanwhile, the head of disease control and management of data and information systems at the Yogyakarta City Health Office, Lana Unwanah, said that the health screening is planned to be carried out from the end of July to early August this year.
"Students have started to take part in face-to-face learning, and (they) previously went on vacations and might have forgotten the health protocols a bit. That is why screening will be carried out to anticipate transmission, starting two weeks after (they are) back in school," she said.
In addition to health screening, the health protocols must be maintained at schools, including wearing masks, Unwanah added.
Data showed that on Monday, Yogyakarta city's active COVID-19 case count rose by 23, taking the total number of patients currently undergoing isolation and treatment to 76.
She noted that the increase recorded on Monday was significant because previously, the city had recorded less than 20 cases per day. Therefore, all parties must be vigilant, she said.
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Translator: Eka Arifa, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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