Health Department Issues Circular Letter Regarding Precautions for COVID-19

After coronavirus disease (COVID-19) started infecting residents in Wuhan, China, on December 31, 2019, this virus outbreak was declared by World Health Organization (WHO) as the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on January 31.

I hope it can be a precaution thus apparatuses can work at their best and full of responsibility

Responding to that, Jakarta Provincial Government through Health Department issued circular letter as the precautions of COVID-19 for the Jakarta Government's internal and external.

Jakarta Health Department Head, Widyastuti explained, all internal and external institutions to raise awareness of this virus.

Education Department Head Issues Circular Letter in Facing The Spread of Corona

"I hope it can be a precaution thus apparatuses can work at their best and full of responsibility. We also hope your institution can give more efforts in detecting, preventing, responding, and anticipating COVID-19 in Jakarta," she conveyed as quoted from Jakarta PPID Press Release, on Thursday (3/5).

This circular letter has been issued with No. 29/SE/2020 about Precautions for Coronavirus Novel Pneumonia (nCov) which delivered for Board of Directors, Building Management, Entertainment Venue Management, and Apartment Management in Jakarta that has issued on January 29, 2020.

Besides, Circular Letter No. 41/SE/2020 about Precautions for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) which issued on March 3, 2020 and sent to Hospital Directors, Jakarta Health Department's internal sides up to regional level, namely UPT Heads, Health Sub-department Head, Sub-district Puskesmas Head and external sides from Clinic Directors, Independent Practitioners, Pharmacy Directors, and Practical Midwives in Jakarta.

Here are the procedures for detecting, preventing, responding, and anticipating COVID-19 that should be done in each institutions;

1. Socialize the symptoms, signs, and way to prevent transmission of infection due to COVID-19 to the employees through direct counseling or printed media (banner, leaflet, videotron, sticker, etc) that can be downloaded from bit.ly/materiedukasiCOVID-19.

2. Provide thermal guns to detect and monitor employee's body temperature.

3. If there are workers with symptoms of fever and cough / runny nose / sore throat / shortness of breath and have returned from the affected countries or areas within 14 days before illness;

a. Don't be panic

b. Educate them to use mask, limit the contact with others, and immediately seek treatment at the nearest health facility. Inform the doctor and health worker about travel history.

c. Report it to Jakarta Health Department as soon as possible through 2020 KLB DKI call center at (0813-8837-6955)

4. Give health advice to the employees, such as;

a. Cough etiquette (covering mouth / nose when coughing / sneezing with tissue)

b. Apply hand washing habit, especially after coughing or sneezing, before and after preparing food, before eating, after using the toilet, after caring for animals.

c. Washing hand with running water, soap, and rinse for about 20 seconds. If there is no water available, you can use hand sanitizers that containing 70-80 percent of alcohol.

d. If you are sick, reduce activities outside and avoid contact with others.

5. Facilitate the investigation and handling process based on applicable regulations to prevent the transmission.

6. Disinfection the area, by;

a. Disinfecting floors, walls, carpets, door handle / windows, and things that are often touched in general using disinfectant liquids in accordance with the instruction for use of each products (label).

b. Spraying room with fast-acting alcoholic disinfectant spray.

7. Provide hand soap and washbasin or hand sanitizer that contains of 70-80 percent alcohol. Make sure it can be accessed easily by all employees and guests.

8. Monitor the current information about COVID-19 through electronic media and press release from reliable source.

9. Do not issue statements on social media that can cause public anxiety.