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Families in East Nusa Tenggara take shelter on farms to escape COVID-19
A village chief said residents started to move out of their houses to stay on their farms after officials disseminated information about the transmission of and preventive measures against the COVID-19 coronavirus.
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Wae Rebo village in Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara basks in the sun on July 3, 2015. In an attempt to be safe from COVID-19 pandemic, 80 families in Lopa Kampong of Borong district, East Manggarai regency of East Nusa Tenggara have chosen to stay on their farms since early March. (Shutterstock/Godila)
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n a scramble to escape from the COVID-19 pandemic, as many as 80 families in Lopa Kampong of Borong district, East Manggarai regency of East Nusa Tenggara province have been choosing to stay on their farms since early March.
"Residents of Kampong Lopa in Gololeda village avoid meetings with homecoming residents who recently came back from other regions. They also avoid meetings with new people," the Gololeda village chief, Martinus Jenama, told The Jakarta Post over the phone on Monday.
He explained that residents started to move out of their houses and stay on their farms after village officials disseminated information about the transmission of and preventive measures against the COVID-19 coronavirus.
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The same thing has also been happening in Mbengan village, Kota Komba district of the same regency. The Mbengan village chief, Yohanes Tobi, told the Post that the residents had taken shelter on their farms in a bid to avoid being infected by the coronavirus.
He added that some residents even stopped going to market to sell produce or buy basic needs because of concern over the pandemic. According to Tobi, the “paranoia” formed ever since mass media started to report virus-related fatalities every day.
The deputy regent of East Manggarai, Jaghur Stefanus vowed to coordinate with local officials to provide more information on how to avoid contracting COVID-19. (trn)
