Jakarta Personnel Agency (BKD) head Chadir confirmed the news the same day, kompas.com reported.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan also confirmed the news of Hermawan’s death.

"More sad news: The district head of Kelapa Gading, Bapak M. Hermawan died at 11:50 a.m. on Sept. 19 in the Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital [RSPI],” he said as quoted by tempo.co.

According to RSPI president director Mohammad Syahril, Hermawan was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday.

At least five other Jakarta officials, including West Jakarta Mayor Uus Kuswanto, who is currently being treated at Pertamina Hospital in Central Jakarta, have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past few weeks.

Besides Hermawan and Saefullah, Ubay Hasan, the subdistrict head of South Meruya in West Jakarta, died of COVID-19 on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi announced on Saturday that he had contracted COVID-19, making him the third KPU commissioner to test positive for the disease.

“According to a swab test I took on Friday, the results of which I have received this afternoon, I have been declared positive for COVID-19,” he told the press on Saturday as quoted by tempo.co.

He added that he was in good condition and had experienced no symptoms.

On Friday, KPU chairman Arief Budiman also tested positive for COVID-19 after undergoing a swab test on Thursday evening.

Previously, KPU commissioner Evi Novida Ginting Manik tested positive on Sept. 9.

Pramono said he had been working closely with Arief and attended an election e-counting system trial in Depok, West Java, with him on Wednesday.

“We [also] attended a memorandum of understanding signing event between the KPU and Hasanuddin University in Makassar [South Sulawesi] and a seminar on the campus on Sept. 14 and 15,” he said.

He added that he had been self-isolating at his official residence, apart from his family who are staying at a private home in Tangerang, Banten.

“I continue to perform my duties to prepare for the 2020 regional elections while working from home,” he said.

The 2020 simultaneous regional elections were initially slated for Sept. 23 but were postponed to Dec. 9 due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), election watchdogs and experts have called on the government to further postpone the elections because of public health risks and possible low voter turnout.

Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) executive director Khoirunnisa Agustyati said that she regretted the government’s decision to hold the elections during the pandemic.

“The option to postpone the regional elections in 270 regions does exist. The government can also partially postpone the elections, for example, in regions with high cases of COVID-19,” she said as quoted by kompas.com.

However, deputy chairman of the House of Representatives Commission II overseeing home affairs, Saan Mustopa, said there had been no discussion about postponing the elections.

“While Pak Arief Budiman is recovering and self-isolating, his duties will be covered by other KPU commissioners. So in my opinion, regional election preparations will not be affected,” Saan said. (trn)