Meanwhile, dozens of asymptomatic patients were reportedly self-isolating in their respective homes under the supervision of community health centers (Puskesmas).

As of Saturday afternoon, Karawang has recorded 3,190 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 2,359 recoveries, 675 hospitalizations and 121 fatalities. Over the past six days, the regency has logged 433 new confirmed cases.

Karawang regency COVID-19 task force spokesperson Fitra Hergyana said the dozens of asymptomatic patients were allowed to self-isolate at home because isolation facilities provided by the government had reached their capacity. They were allowed to self-isolate at home after local authorities were certain their homes met the basic requirements, such as enough space to allow proper social distancing. 

Previously, the Karawang administration did not allow asymptomatic patients to undergo self-isolation at home and instead provided isolation facilities. However, with the consistent increase in infections, the administration started to struggle to find more space to serve as isolation facilities.

So far, the administration has provided 320 beds in COVID-19 referral hospitals as well as 300 rooms in hotels. 

“But due to the limited number of spaces, we allow [some] patients to self-isolate at home under the Puskesmas’ strict supervision,” Fitra said as quoted by kompas.id on Saturday.

Read also: Data discrepancies explain COVID-19 case surge in West Java, Ridwan Kamil says

Karawang is one of West Java’s high-risk COVID-19 red zones.

Industry clusters remain the main contributor to the regency’s confirmed cases with 941. 

Karawang regency secretary Acep Jamhuri has reminded companies in the regency’s industrial area to abide by health protocols, especially approaching year-end holidays when most workers would spend their off days at their respective hometowns. 

He went on to say that in previous experience, most confirmed cases in industry clusters emerged after long weekends. Therefore, he urged the companies to keep a record of workers who traveled out of town, especially to the red zones, during holidays.

“We previously had workers vacationing in their hometowns and contracting the virus there. When they returned to Karawang, they became a spreader in their workplace,” Acep said. 

As of Sunday, West Java has counted 59,273 confirmed cases, including 48,591 recoveries and 962 fatalities, according to pikobar.jabarprov.go.id.

In October, Karawang Regent Yerry Yanuar said about 80 percent of the companies in the regency had failed to comply with the health protocols. He urged the companies to immediately create and implement a standard operating procedure to run their business safely during the pandemic. 

He also ordered them to conduct contact-tracing of their infected workers. (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.