Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Ganip Warsito believes that the handling of COVID-19 during the Papua National Sports Week (PON) XX had been proceeding well.

Warsito spoke of having conducted an observation of several match locations of the Papua PON XX while visiting the fencing arena at the St Yoseph Church, Merauke, on Wednesday.

“So far, I have seen that health protocols are being implemented well. I hope that the president’s aspirations of success and advancement of Papua through its sports will be realized,” Warsito noted in his official statement received here on Thursday.

He remarked that the COVID-19 pandemic had not completely disappeared, but it can still be prevented by applying strict health protocols at all of the Papua PON XX venues.

“We have checked and, amazingly, coaches and officials have complied with the health protocols set, right from the audience’s seats to the athletes changing rooms,” he remarked.

Warsito noted that President Jokowi’s directive during the opening of Papua PON holds relevance in terms of stemming the spread of COVID-19 infections during the biggest sports competition in Indonesia.

In addition, he lauded the volunteers of BNPB’s health protocol task force for Papua PON XX that had followed the orders given to them regarding the implementation of health protocols.

Earlier, the BNPB had delivered around 430 thousand masks to be distributed to volunteers at the PON venue, schools, public places, and prayer places in Merauke.

“Our group declared that we are ready to fulfill the president’s wish as best as we can, so that health protocols can be implemented well,” Warsito asserted.

Source: Antara News