TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Home Affairs’ (Kemendagri) Director of Disaster Mitigation and Fire Management Directorate General of Territorial Administration, Safrizal Za, stated that the COVID-19 rapid test kit has been distributed to health centers in Jakarta.

“Last night, the rapid test kit was distributed to health clinics all throughout Jakarta” said Safrizal in a press conference in the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Building, Jakarta, on Wednesday, March 25, 2020.

The rapid test kit will be prioritized for Jakarta residents on a list, traced to have been in close contact with COVID-19 positive patients. “I have communicated with the Governor of Jakarta; people who are on the long list are the people who will do the first rapid test,” Safrizal added.

After testing the people to have been in close contact with COVID-19 positive patients, the second phase of the rapid testing will be geared for medical personnel active in handling COVID-19. Upon the arrival of more test kits, regional rapid tests will then be done.

Although a total of 125 thousand rapid test kits have been distributed to 34 provinces, Safrizal admitted that the rapid test kit is still limited in quantity. As a result, people who have been identified with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms are instead urged to go to a COVID-19 referral hospital.

“Rapid tests will be decentralized to existing health facilities in the region, such as health centers, regional laboratories, government and regional hospitals and," said spokesman for the Covid-19 Response Team, Achmad Yurianto, Tuesday, March 24, 2020.

ANTARA | DIO SUHENDA (INTERN TRANSLATOR)