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JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—As of March 17, 2020, the Constitutional Court (MK) implemented work-from-home (WFH) policy. All employees within the Registrar\'s Office and the Secretariat General of the Constitutional Court work from home using information technology. However, in order to participate in the prevention of the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Constitutional Court also formed the COVID-19 Task Force following the Decree of the Secretary General of the Constitutional Court No. 97 of 2020 concerning the COVID-19 Management Task Force at the Constitutional Court. 

The task force is tasked with preventing the spread of COVID-19 by coordinating with the work units within the Constitutional Court and with related agencies. It must also anticipate, prepare, and monitor any potential spread of COVID-19 as well as provide information and education to prevent and mitigate COVID-19. The task force is also tasked with taking the steps required to prevent and mitigate COVID-19 within the Constitutional Court. 

Frontline Workers

One of the work units at the forefront of the Constitutional Court’s COVID-19 Task Force is the clinic’s medical personnel. They consist of 13 people—two general physicians, two dentists, four nurses, two pharmacists, one physiotherapist, and a medical laboratory staff. Verra Yunita Mamonto, a general physician and coordinator of the clinic, explained that the Constitutional Court had opened a COVID-19 post in response to the pandemic. 

"The 13 people work in shifts. At least five people work at COVID-19 post every day but [only four people work the Friday shift] due to less activity. But it is situational. For example, yesterday for medical kit distribution, all [personnel] was on duty. There might also be vaccination and rapid testing," said Verra via telephone on Thursday afternoon (2/4/2020).

Medical Kit Distribution 

Since the WFH policy was put in place, Verra revealed that the clinic’s personnel have distributed 711 medical kits to all employees within the Registrar\'s Office and the Secretariat General of the Constitutional Court. Each medical kit contains masks, multivitamins, hand sanitizers, and a pack of wet tissue. In addition, they sprayed disinfectant in the Constitutional Court’s building, the Pancasila and Constitution Education Center, the residences of the constitutional justices, as well as the staff housing complex in Bekasi, West Java. 

Verra also revealed that they also planned to hold rapid testing for employees, which will prioritize the medical staff, the constitutional justices, the court officers, and the justices’ assistants. "About 520 rapid test kits have been prepared. Upon any indication [of infection], (the Court) has cooperated with [Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital] for further treatment," she said. 

COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the WHO. The government’s spokesperson on COVID-19 Achmad Yurianto said on April 2 that 1,790 patients were confirmed positive for COVID-19, while the 112 patients have recovered and 170 patients died. 

On March 15 from Bogor Palace, President Joko Widodo appealed to the people to stay at home and practice social distancing. The Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry issued the Circular Letter Number 19 of 2020 concerning Adjustment of the Work System of State Civil Apparatuses in Preventing COVID-19 in Government Agencies. The circular serves as a guideline for government agencies in carrying out official duties following WFH policy for state civil apparatuses (ASN) as an effort to prevent and minimize the spread of COVID-19. (Lulu Anjarsari)

Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti

Translation uploaded on 04/02/2020

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