More than a dozen schools in Denpasar will be closed for two weeks after the emergence of several COVID-19 clusters, about two months since face-to-face learning was relaunched in Bali.
The Denpasar City government began rolling out random PCR tests for teachers and students on Nov. 11, which led to the discovery of dozens of confirmed cases. Students and teachers in Bali have been returning to school for a limited face-to-face learning since October.
Dewa Gede Rai, spokesman for Denpasar’s COVID-19 Task Force, said that the cases found were asymptomatic. This includes 31 students and six teachers across 15 schools at the primary and junior high level.
“The schools will be closed for two weeks. If we find no more cases after testing, then a limited face-to-face learning will continue,” Dewa said.
The PCR tests were reportedly conducted among 1,470 students and 479 teachers from Nov. 11 to 28, with a total of 37 people testing positive for the coronavirus.
“We are still investigating the source of transmission, we are not yet able to determine where it happened. Whether it’s at home, playground, or school. We are still conducting tracing,” Dewa said.
