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COVID-19: E. Java Islamic boarding school quarantined after 500 students test positive
All student activities have been suspended.
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Workers pose in their personal protection equipment in a public kitchen at the Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School in Jombang regency, East Java, on June 16. (Antara/Syaiful Arif)
H
ealth authorities have placed the Darussalam Blokagung Banyuwangi Islamic Boarding School in East Java under quarantine after nearly 100 students test positive for COVID-19.
The provincial COVID-19 task force confirmed that 539 students in the boarding school had tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Monday, according to kompas.tv. Testing was done after authorities found that 99 students had the disease.
During the quarantine, all student activities will be suspended. Police and military personnel were also dispatched to put up checkpoints on all roads leading to the school.
Local authorities have opened a public kitchen to feed the students during the quarantine.
“The Banyuwangi administration is providing foodstuffs, while personnel from the Banyuwangi Disaster Mitigation Agency [BPBD] and the emergency response unit [Tagana] will cook in the kitchen,” Banyuwangi 0825 Military District (Kodim) Commander Lt. Col. Yuli Eko Purwanto said on Sunday as quoted by kompas.com.
Read also: COVID-19: How the second largest province became Indonesia's epicenter
Students who tested positive for COVID-19 were put in isolation and separated from other students.
Banyuwangi Health Agency head Widji Lestariono said his team had prepared an area in the school to treat the students.
He added that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had rapidly increased over the weekend.
“Most are students. Nevertheless, we have been treating patients for some time. We hope comprehensive efforts from all parties can help prevent COVID-19 from spreading further in the school,” Widji said. (dpk)
