Twenty-seven people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Tarakan, North Kalimantan, are believed to have been infected at campaigning events for the regional elections, which are set to take place in December.
As of Tuesday, Tarakan has recorded 648 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 404 recoveries and seven fatalities.
Tarakan COVID-19 team spokeswoman Devi Ika Indriarti said the 27 people who had contracted COVID-19 did not show symptoms.
“It would have been easy for them to contract the virus if they had been unfit,” Devi said on Tuesday as quoted by antaranews.com.
She added that travelers coming to Tarakan with a non-reactive COVID-19 rapid test were still encouraged to self-isolate for 14 days. However, if the travelers are scheduled to engage in social events as part of campaign activities, they are urged to take swab tests.
She urged anyone who had participated in any election-related activities, including organizing campaigns, to first report their schedules to the Tarakan COVID-19 team.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Tarakan General Hospital (RSUD) was temporarily shut down after it was discovered that three of its specialists had contracted COVID-19.
According to a circular signed by the hospital’s acting director, M. Hasbi Hasyim, the hospital halted operations in the emergency, physiotherapy and central surgery units from Monday to Friday. Meanwhile, operations in the out-patient care unit closed on Monday and would resume on Nov. 30.
“The three specialists are symptomatic and are now in self-isolation,” Hasbi said.
In October, the General Elections Commission (KPU) announced that three candidates running for the upcoming simultaneous regional elections had died of COVID-19. KPU commissioner Evi Novilda Ginting Manik said the first candidate to die was Muharram, the incumbent regent of Berau regency in East Kalimantan.
“Muharram passed away on Sept. 22, a day prior to the announcement of eligible candidates [in the regency],” Evi said on Sunday as reported by kompas.com.
The second candidate to succumb to COVID-19 was Adi Darma, who was running in the mayoral race in Bontang, also in East Kalimantan. Adi died on Thursday after being treated at Taman Husada Regional General Hospital (RSUD), Bontang.
Meanwhile, Ibnu Saleh, the incumbent regent of Central Bangka, Bangka Belitung Islands, died from COVID-19 on Sunday. Ibnu was running for reelection.
Evi said KPU regulations allowed parties to replace candidates who died prior to the elections.
The government remains insistent on carrying out the regional elections as scheduled despite public outcry. The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and prominent Muslim groups Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah had urged the government to delay the elections to protect the people from COVID-19.
LIPI political research center head Firman Noor said at least 63 candidate pairs had also been exposed to COVID-19, showing the election had the potential to create new clusters. (nkn)
Editor’s note: This article is part of a public campaign by the COVID-19 task force to raise people’s awareness about the pandemic.
