State Radio in Indonesia Placed on Lockdown As 3 Workers Test Positive for Covid-19

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – State radio station Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) has locked down its main offices in Jakarta after three employees tested positive for the Covid-19 virus.

“The RRI main offices on Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat will be closed from July 23 to August 4," RRI Human Resources and General Manager Nurhanuddin said, noting that three employees tested positive for the coronavirus. 

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"Our employees will work from home — except those who work in the Pro3 radio station — and keep them broadcasting for 24 hours," he told Kompas.com on Thursday, July 24. "Thankfully the RRI news center, which runs Pro3, managed to remain sterile from the coronavirus.”

Nurhanuddin did not disclose the identities of employees who tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. But he noted that they worked in the Technology and New Media Directorate and  overseas broadcasting. He added that RRI immediately took precautions on finding the cluster.

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“Employees who have been in close contact with the [Covid-19 positive] colleagues were made to undergo PCR swab tests, especially those whom they recently came into contact with or are in the same office.”

Nurhanuddin added that the tests indicated that the employees contracted Covid-19 in their homes or neighborhood.

The finding of the Covid-19 cases in RRI’s Jakarta offices occurred after 65 journalists from RRI, state television station TVRI and Metro TV bureaus in Surabaya tested positive for the coronavirus last week.

The outbreak left two TVRI reporters dead and forced the curtailing of RRI broadcasts from the East Java provincial capital.

The government warned businesses to take extra precautions as figures showed that coronavirus cases surged since offices started reopening during the transition large-scale social distancing period last May.

The authorities focused on office meetings as potential sources of transmission. The  safeguards to prevent a large number of people in one place included online or multiple meetings, no servings of food and drink, and ensuring that meeting areas be well-ventilated. 

(Writers: Rindi Nuris Velarosdela, Surabaya Contributor Ghinan Salman | Editors: Sabrina Asril, Jessi Carina, Robertus Belarminus)

Sources: 

https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2020/07/22/20105591/tiga-karyawan-positif-covid-19-kantor-rri-jakarta-ditutup-sementara?page=all#page2. 

https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2020/07/23/11393471/karyawan-rri-yang-positif-covid-19-diduga-terpapar-dari-lingkungan-rumah. 

https://surabaya.kompas.com/read/2020/07/14/06522031/virus-corona-serang-65-pekerja-media-dari-kantor-tvri-rri-dan-metro-tv?page=all.