18 Parliament Members Have Covid-19, Anies Suggests Partly Closing DPR Building

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said that all activities at the DPR Building must be stopped for three days because 18 DPR members were confirmed positive for Covid-19. Anies said the building has to be sterilized as stated in the governor regulation on PSBB.

"Just like the City Hall case," Anies said on Wednesday, referring to the closure of Jakarta's City Hall after several officials tested positive for the coronavirus. 

According to Anies, the DPR doesn’t have to close the entire complex—just areas where the positive members had worked.   

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Azis Syamsuddin, said 18 members tested positive for Covid-19, according to a report from the Secretariat General.

"That number does not include experts, staff, internal security, health services, temps, and others," Azis said on Wednesday. He did not mention the names of the DPR members.   

Meanwhile, DPR member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle faction, Sturman Panjaitan, said that two experts from the DPR Legislation Body had died due to Covid-19.

Governor's Regulation 88/2020 on PSBB issued by Anies Baswedan stipulates that all office activities must be stopped for three days if a positive case of Covid-19 is found. The entire building must be closed, not just the floor where the Covid-19 case was found.

Read: DPR Deputy Speaker: 18 Legislators Tested Positive for COVID-19

Adam Prireza