Indonesia to reopen schools with strict safety measures as daily COVID-19 cases decline

In certain areas of Indonesia's capital Jakarta, schools are finally given permission to reopen from Monday after being closed for more than a year due to coronavirus outbreak. This decision has been taken as daily tally of fresh COVID-19 cases continue to drop. After outbreak emerged, this is for first time that nearly 610 Indonesian schools have cleared Jakarta Education Agency's necessary inspections to reopen schools, with several safety measures.  

Jakarta Vice Governor Ahm Riza Patria told reporters on Monday, “We h been past peak of second wave of COVID-19 infections.” He furr ded that y are expecting to open all schools by January. As per government official data, Jakarta has a total of 5,341 schools varying from kindergarten to high school. 

Indonesia schools to reopen with safety measures

Apart from Jakarta, a number of schools in or cities were set to resume from Monday. As classes have recommenced, previous government school guidelines have been modified. Indonesian students are not permitted to talk in classroom, facemasks are a must all time, and Indonesian students are not permitted to leave classroom for recess. By offering lessons in two shifts, schools may reduce class capacity by half. Vaccination of teachers is absolutely required. In-person education in school will be combined with online learning mode. number of students will progressively increase depending on government's assessment of COVID situation. 

COVID situation in Indonesia

On Sunday, Indonesian Ministry of Health recorded 7,427 new cases in previous 24 hours which is lowest daily number since June 9. From  pinnacle on July 15, when almost 56,000 infections were reported in one day re has been a grual drop. 

Being world's fourth most populated country, Indonesia has reported over 4 million illnesses from beginning of outbreak. Jakarta, which was formerly nation's COVID-19 hub, has seen a drop in both active and new instances since mid-July. As for active cases, it is recorded that it went from more than 100,000 active instances per day to less than 8,000 and for new cases, it is seen that from more than 10,000 new infections per day to less than 500. 

Patients are also not getting sent away from hospitals as frequently it has been done previously.  According to Central Jakarta Health Service, bed occupancy rate at various Jakarta hospitals has dropped under 30%. 

While in case of public activities, Limitations are being loosened in capital city, which even ministration attributes with helping to relieve demand on hospitals. Since mid-August, officials in Jakarta have grually reopened malls, worship places, as well as outdoor sports facilities with capacity restrictions and need that visitors show proof of vaccination. 

Indonesia has begun immunising children aged from 12 to 18 years old from last month. country began inoculating its citizens sooner than any or Souast Asian nation. By March 2022, government hopes to have inoculated over 208 million of its 270 million citizens, but officials have only completed full vaccination to about 34.8 million individuals and partial immunisation to anor 26.7 million of population. 

(Image Credit: AP)