Indian Covid-19 Variant Detected in Indonesia, Says Health Minister

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia has detected 10 confirmed cases of a new coronavirus variant, which was first found in India, a top Indonesian health official said on Monday, April 26.

“The new Covid-19 variant that has fueled a surge of cases in India has been found in Indonesia. Ten people have contracted the aforementioned Covid variant,” Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told a streamed news conference.

Budi, however, did not specifically mention which variant underwent a mutation. He only said that of the 10 people who contracted the mutant Covid variant, six of them contracted it from abroad.

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“Meanwhile, four people are infected via local transmission. We need to prevent this virus [from spreading],” Budi said, adding that two cases were found in Sumatera and one case in West Java and South Kalimantan, respectively.

The government has stepped up the efforts to carry out surveillance in the areas. “We are on high alert, monitoring the spread of the new variant,” Budi said.

It was reported that Jakarta Military Commander Major General Dudung Abdurachman said as many as 153 Indian nationals have arrived in the capital Jakarta on Saturday, April 24.
Out of 153 people, 12 of them were reported to have been exposed to Covid-19 following their PCR tests. They all are currently undergoing isolation in Jakarta hotels.

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Besides, Dudung added, seven Indonesian nationals have also just arrived from India. However, they all have tested negative for the Covid-19. They all also undergo self-isolation in the emergency hospital for Covid-19 patients in the Kemayoran Athletes Village in Central Jakarta.

The military commander called on the public to remain calm following the arrival of the Indian nationals in Jakarta as all foreigners have been monitored by the Covid-19 Task Force Team.

(Writer: Dian Erika Nugraheny | Editor: Icha Rastika, Nursita Sari)

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/04/26/13550001/menkes-10-orang-di-indonesia-terinfeksi-covid-19-dari-mutasi-virus-yang.

https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2021/04/25/14080251/pangdam-jaya-sebut-153-wn-india-tiba-di-jakarta-12-di-antaranya-positif.