ITS Rector Prof Dr Ir Mochamad Ashari MEng

ITS Campus, ITS News – In anticipation of the spread of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19), the leaders at the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) were addressing the conduct of health tests, some time ago. Results of test tests, ITS leaders declared negative COVID-19.

Previously, news about the Indonesian Republic Minister of Transportation (Menhub RI) was declared positive for COVID-19 on Saturday (14/3) ago, reap concerns on several leaders in ITS. The reason, a few days earlier ITS received a visit from the Netherlands Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management and directly interacted with related elements. It is noted that the day before the trip to ITS,  the women had a meeting with the Menhub RI.

Based on this, the rector of ITS Prof. Dr. Ir Mochamad Ashari M Eng revealed that the corresponding chairmen that directly interacted with the Dutch minister decided to conduct a COVID-19 test check. “Mainly to convince our health, this examination is done to eliminate the concern of all students and their parents who attended the first day of graduation. Saturday (14/3) ” he explained.

With regard to the 121st graduation ceremony, many became the spotlight among the academic community related to the graduation of the second day. Ashari explains that the chosen step is not without reason. “This decision we take as a precautionary measure and to ensure that all the graduates and relatives stay healthy as long as our test results have not come out,” he added.

Further, in order to anticipate the outbreak of this COVID-19 plague, Ashari again asserted that ITS has carried out some preventive measures. The first-day graduation procession has also followed the prevention protocol, that is, by not doing hand-shake and provide the liquid antiseptic hand sanitizer. “For that, we can make sure from the leadership that is present in the graduation procession in a healthy state because it does not feel the slightest symptom,” he added.

The laboratory results of ITS rector Prof Dr Ir Mochamad Ashari MEng

As a clarification to address the concerns of ITS academic Civitas regarding ITS linkage with the visit of Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management of Netherlands, Ashari stated that from the results of the examination of PCR-19 in Airlangga University Hospital showed that the related party was declared negative COVID-19. “The Dutch ministers also stated they are in good health,” he explained.

The professor of electrical engineering added, with the validation of the results of the COVID-19 examinations received, all of ITS leadership and relatives responded with some preventive measures. “Namely by conducting social distancing, doing a healthy lifestyle, and maintaining the cleanliness of ourselves and our environment,” said Ashari.

Follow up the preventive efforts of the COVID-19 outbreak, with the release of the Rector’s circular letter T/21018/IT2/TU. 00.08/2020, on March 16 to March 27, 2020 carried out sterilization measures throughout ITS campus area. On this subject, all activities in ITS environment are declared dead including the establishment of lectures from March 16 to March 20, 2020. Furthermore, the lecture activities will be resumed on March 23 using the online method.

During the sterilization period, ITS also implement the work from home system for the chairmen and all of ITS environmental officers. “In that period, the entire building is vacated from all activities and the whole academic Civitas ITS doing ITS job from their respective homes,” explained Ashari again.

With all the efforts that have been deployed as a precautionary measure, Ashari hopes all ITS academic civitas to remind each other of the closest relatives to jointly perform preventive measures such as what was socialized on ITS official site. “Do not forget to filter the information and rashly receiving news about the positive indications of COVID-19 in ITS environment,” he said.

As a real step to protect its students wherever they are, the Task Force (Satgas) COVID-19 ITS is also logging for all of ITS students, especially those who are doing exchanges or taking scholarships abroad. “Hopefully, we all are always in the protection of God Almighty and avoided from all diseases,” concluded Ashari. (Tri/Anjani/ITS Public Relation Officer)