TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Member of the Health Administration of the Covid-19 Task Force Lia G. Partakusuma, said that janitors have become one of the people with high risk of contracting the Omicron variant of Covid-19. One of the cases that give evidence to the claim was experienced by the janitor of the Kemayoran Athletes Village who become the first person who contracted the Covid-19 Omicron variant.

"Actually, [janitors] at the Athletes Village has been taught how not to get infected. But i don't know how they can get infected. Is it possible because the Omicron [variant] can be easily transmitted," Lia said on Saturday, December 18, 2021.

Lia explained that janitors have risks of being exposed to Covid-19 because the people has not been educated to sort out hazardous waste and to separate it from other household waste. Many people did not process used tissue or used masks before disposing it. Such condition exposes janitors to risks of contracting the virus without having direct interaction with the infected person. "So, the waste producer must be educated," Lia said.

Meanwhile, Head of Jakarta Environmental Agency Asep Kuswanto explained that currently, as many as 110 to 120 cleaners working in Bantargebang have been exposed to Covid-19. They are suspected to contract the virus because of mask waste that was disposed of was mixed with household waste.

Asep explained that hundreds of cleaners were contracted with Covid-19 when the second wave of Covid-19 hits Jakarta. During that time, the number of hazardous waste such as masks surged up to 493 tons per day.

Asep said that currently, the Jakarta Provincial Government has had its own hazardous waste collection facility. Officers handling hazardous wastes will be equipped with complete protective gear. However, there are still many occurrences where residents mix their hazardous waste with household waste, causing the waste to be processed by officers not wearing protective gear.

M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH