Jakarta Offices Told to Raise Vigilance on Covid-19, We Listen

Jakarta. Beritasatu Media Holdings held mass Covid-19 testing involving more than 400 employees -- including staff members of the Jakarta Globe -- earlier this week, amid reports that government and business premises have become a new cluster of infection in the capital city. 

Governor Anies Baswedan has urged all offices to strictly impose health protocols to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The two-day serologic tests were conducted by Siloam Hospitals Group at Beritasatu Plaza building in South Jakarta, with participants separated into dozens of groups to undergo the tests at different hours on Wednesday and Thursday.

All employees, from the editorial team and managerial staffs to security personnel and drivers, were required to take the test.

The serologic test, often called as antibody test, aims to detect the presence of antibodies produced naturally in response to infection, including Covid-19. It takes blood samples of the participants for laboratory tests using robotic instruments to produce more accurate results.

The mass testing will help improve surveillance of possible infection in a community and enable early response to prevent the disease from spreading.

Jakarta has reported hundreds of cases of the virus at government offices and business premises over the last two months.