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Public officials urged to be open about their health
Public advised to remain disciplined in following health protocols.
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ublic officials contracting COVID-19 have been urged to publicly announce their condition to allow health workers to trace the people they have been in touch with.
“Public officials should be transparent about their condition, because they often meet the public,” Trubus Rahardiansyah, a public policy expert from Trisakti University, told kompas.com on Monday.
Trubus was commenting on a statement from the Religious Affairs Ministry that minister Fachrul Razi had tested positive for COVID-19.
“We should appreciate the minister’s openness, because it makes it easier to trace the people who have met him.”
Trubus added that Fachrul, in being transparent, could be a role model for the public. He also called on the government to list infected officials, so that the public was aware.
Earlier on Monday, one of Fachrul’s expert staff members broke the news that the minister had tested positive.
“On Sept. 17, the religious affairs minister had taken a PCR test and the result came back positive,” Kevin Haikal said in a press statement on Monday.
“Thankfully, he is in good condition and has shown no worrying symptoms.”
Religious Affairs Ministry spokesperson Oman Fathurahman said Fachrul had delegated his tasks to the deputy minister, Zainut Tauhid, and other officials while he was recovering in isolation.
“The minister ordered [officials] to continue the ministry’s programs and services and to focus on COVID-19 prevention in educational and religious institutions,” Oman said.
“He also asked officials to disburse [social] aid. All coordination for the ministry’s programs will be carried out online.”
Oman further said access to the Religious Affairs Ministry building in Central Jakarta had also been restricted for several weeks. The ministry had also imposed a work-from-home policy that applied to most of its employees.
“We will optimize our online service system,” he said.
There was no plan to shut down the office as of now, he added, but the ministry planned to implement stricter access and health protocols. Fachrul also advised the public to remain disciplined in following the health protocols, Oman said.
“Anybody could contract COVID-19, no exception. Let’s be empathetic, support one another, and do our best to follow the health protocols,” he said.
Meanwhile, Presidential Secretariat head Heru Budi Hartono acknowledged on Monday that Fachrul had attended a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace on Sept. 7.
“He said that, prior to the meeting, all ministers had undergone polymerase chain reaction [PCR] tests,” he said as quoted by kompas.com.
“At that time [Fachrul's] test result came back negative.”
Fachrul is the third minister to test positive for COVID-19.
In March, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi was treated at the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital (RSPAD) in Central Jakarta for COVID-19.
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo was treated at the RS Soekanto Police Hospital in early September before being transferred to the RSPAD.
Both ministers have made full recoveries.
Meanwhile, the deputy chairman of House of Representatives Commission VIII overseeing religious affairs, Ace Hasan Syadzily, said the commission was considering holding a swab test for its leaders, members and staffers as part of COVID-19 tracing efforts.
“We had a meeting with the minister [Fachrul] on Sept. 14,” he told kompas.com.
Three commissioners of the General Elections Commission also tested positive for COVID-19 recently. The latest one was Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi, who made an announcement on Saturday after taking a swab test on Friday. (nvn)
