The project, the first of its kind in the capital, would be fully funded and sustained by NGOs, non-profit organizations and the community.

DRD head Kemas Ridwan Kurniawan said the shelter, to be set up soon, would be designated for people who were categorized as patients under surveillance (PDP) and persons under monitoring (ODP).

"ODP and PDP typically have mild symptoms. People who tested positive for COVID-19 or those who have severe symptoms would be transferred to the hospitals," Kemas said in a virtual press conference on Wednesday.

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He explained that the council has prepared three shelter prototypes for the project that could accommodate up to 100 people.

The shelter could be built on public spaces such as mosques, child-friendly public spaces (RPTRA), sports halls or badminton fields.

"All prototypes were designed based on isolation shelters in Wuhan, China, and in the United Kingdom. The facilities will be equipped with disinfection chambers, transition rooms, nurse stations and waste management centers to make sure they do not become new sources of virus transmissions for the community," he said, adding that the shelters would be non-permanent so the equipment could be reused after the isolation process was over.

Kemal expressed hope that the pilot project in Pademangan would inspire community members and NGOs to create similar facilities.

"To operate the shelter, each community can cooperate with local community health centers and health agencies to provide healthcare personnel and with non-profit organizations for funding and volunteers," he said.

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Sukma Widyanti of the same organization said the shelter was needed in Pademangan considering residents in the area had been struggling to self-isolate and maintain social distancing, even though the area had been categorized as a red zone due to a high COVID-19 infection rate.

"It's a difficult situation. More than 50 residents in Pademangan have tested positive for COVID-19, but they can’t practice social distancing because a lot of them live in densely populated neighborhoods," she said.

"Besides many COVID-19 reference hospitals are overcrowded. Meanwhile, a lot of residents are unable to stay at home because they live in densely populated areas and slums. This community-based isolation shelter could be a solution to that problem.”