Asymptomatic patients can isolate at home if they pass community clinic examination: Jakarta official

Jakarta’s Health Agency Head Widyastuti speaking at a press conference in early March 2020. Photo: DKI Jakarta
Jakarta’s Health Agency Head Widyastuti speaking at a press conference in early March 2020. Photo: DKI Jakarta

When Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan announced the return of the strict Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) protocol two weeks ago, he stated that COVID-19 patients must be isolated at government facilities. However, that arrangement appears to have flown out the window, as a city official this week said that asymptomatic patients and those with mild symptoms are still permitted to self-isolate at home. 

Widyastuti, who heads Jakarta’s Health Agency, said there are certain terms and conditions that must be fulfilled by COVID-19 patients wishing to isolate at home.

“When deciding whether a patient or a [Jakarta] resident can self-isolate at home or not, we will urge the patient to coordinate with their local Puskesmas [community clinic],” Widyastuti said in a live broadcast yesterday.

“From there, the Puskesmas team will assess if their home is fit [for self-isolation] under the supervision from our team. So the patients will be supervised by [the Health Agency], local RW [Rukun Warga, community unit], and the local puskesmas.”

Houses that are deemed fit for self-isolation should have a good ventilation system and adequate lighting, as well as a separate bathroom, and patients are expected to use their own toiletries and eating utensils, separate from other household members, and wearing masks is mandatory for whenever patients leave their room. 

During the self-isolation period, patients will be assisted by their local puskesmas and RW, though this apparently doesn’t mean that the team will pay them a daily visit. 

For the time being, the Jakarta Provincial Government is providing an isolation facility for asymptomatic patients and patients with mild symptoms at the Wisma Atlet COVID-19 Emergency Hospital in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.

Widyastuti also announced yesterday that the Jakarta administration will be working with a hotel association to transform some hotel rooms across Jakarta into paid isolation facilities. The government hopes that this move will help boost income for the hotel industry, which has been heavily impacted by the pandemic.

We don’t know about you, but the confusing policies regarding self-isolation is just one more reason for us to stay at home and only go out for urgent matters.

 

Also Read:

Hospital patients make up largest COVID-19 cluster in Jakarta: Indonesia task force

Should you wear a mask in your own car? Jakartans question rule



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