"IDI will not stop saying that this 100-percent face-to-face learning should be carefully monitored," the task force's head, Erlina Burhan, remarked at a virtual press conference on Friday.
The risk of infection remains given that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can enter not only through the respiratory tract, but also receptors in other locations. Thus, the virus can be found in other body parts, she explained.
In fact, COVID-19 can cause inflammation of heart muscles or myocarditis, which, if left untreated, can be fatal.
In relation to face-to-face learning, she urged related parties to ensure that the stipulations issued by the government through the four ministers' joint decree (SKB) are implemented.
"We urge the Education Office to create a team to monitor the implementation of this PTM in accordance with the existing stipulations," she said.
According to Burhan, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology must also carry out monitoring on the field.
Parents' assistance is also necessary to ensure that face-to-face learning proceeds in accordance with the health protocol stipulation at schools and the children are healthy to participate in the learning.
These steps must be taken to stem the spread of COVID-19 given that a rise in infections can potentially trigger mutations, which can lead to the emergence of new variants.
"Hence, our job is to prevent the existence of new variants," she remarked.
However, if people do not care, the government is not stringent, and new variants enter from the outside, it would delay the transition to the endemic phase once again, she cautioned.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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