Indonesia Highlights: Sinopharm Covid-19 Vaccines Arrives in Indonesia | Indonesian Police: Thousands Affected by Used Rapid Test Samples in North Sumatra Indonesia | Indonesian Officials in Bali Depo

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia has taken delivery of the Sinopharm vaccine from China, as the country continues to stockpile vaccines to for use in its quest to gain herd immunity against Covid-19.

Indonesian police in North Sumatra continued to find more details of a racket to use old Covid-19 rapid test kits on travelers in the province’s Kualanamu International Airport.

And immigration officials in Bali deport two foreign citizens who tried to get around health protocols with a misguided attempt to find the funny side in the stunt. This and more on Indonesia Highlights:

Screenshot Youtube BPOM RI BPOM head Penny Lukito announcing the EUA for the Sinopharm vaccine at a press conference on Friday, (30/4/2021)

Sinopharm Covid-19 Vaccines Arrives in Indonesia

Indonesia is set to increase its stockpile of Covid-19 vaccines, as the country received the first doses of the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine.

Minister of Communications and Informatics Johnny G. Plate are among the officials who received the shipment, which arrived in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Friday, April 30. “

The cargo included 482,400 ready-to use vaccine doses of the Sinopharm China National Pharmaceutical Corporation, and six million bulk vaccines from Sinovac,” said the Nasdem Party [National Democrat] politician.

“This latest consignment of vaccines has brought the number of vaccine doses in Indonesia to 65,500,000 bulk vaccines from Sinovac, as well as 8,448,000 finished product vaccines from Sinovac, Sinopharm and AstraZeneca from our cooperation with the Gavi Covax Facility.”

Indonesia’s Food and Drug Agency or BPOM has issued emergency use authorization [EUA] for Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccine on the day of their arrival.

BPOM chief Penny Lukito said the agency’s decision to issue the EUA to the Sinopharm vaccine was based on reports of its positive results in the United Arab Emirates.

“Phase 3 clinical studies carried out on 42 thousand volunteers in the United Arab Emirates has shown that the [Sinopharm] vaccine has an efficacy rate of 78 percent,” she said in a virtual press conference on Friday, April 30.

Penny admitted that the vaccine has some side effects, among them bruises, swelling, headaches, diarrhea, aches and coughs, among other physical effects. But she maintained that they are still mild and only affected 0.01 percent of those who received the vaccine.

Indonesia will use the Sinopharm and Cansino vaccines from China, and the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia, in its Gotong Royong vaccination drive.

Source:

https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/04/30/235214174/sinopharm-covid-19-vaccines-arrives-in-indonesia?page=all#page2. 

KOMPAS.COM/DEWANTORO The Kimia Farma personnel suspected of reusing old rapid test samples on travelers at North Sumatra's Kualanamu International Airport, along with samples of their wrongdoing, at a police press conference in the North Sumatra provincial capital Medan on Thursday (29/4/2021)

Indonesian Police: Thousands Affected by Used Rapid Test Samples in North Sumatra

Regional Police in the Indonesian province of North Sumatra has estimated that reused antigen rapid test swab kits by Kimia Farma pharmaceutical company personnel at Kualanamu International Airport has affected thousands of travelers.

North Sumatra Regional Police chief Inspector General Panca Putra Simanjuntak said the syndicate, which was led by an individual identified as PC, Kimia Farma’s regional Business Manager, started to snare their victims in December 2020.

“Those samples are used on at least 100 [people] daily over a 90 day period, or over 9 thousand people. The perpetrators made about Rp. 1.8 billion [124,630.44] since their racket started in December 2020,” he noted.

PC’s fellow accomplices, DP, SP, MR and RN, have different roles designated by PC. “We would choose swabs that have undamaged exteriors to be disinfected with 75 percent alcohol and passed off as new and reused," said DP and SP.

Another accomplice, MR, would type negative or positive results on the used tests, depending on their original outcome, while RN ‘registered’ the victims and counted the number of travelers manipulated into taking the tests.”

Benny Satria, an expert member of the Covid-19 Task Force in North Sumatra, warned that reusing the swab rapid test kits are hazardous, as they are B3, or hazardous and toxic waste.

"The [Covid-19 positive] swab sticks are known to carry [the coronavirus], and the virus cannot be rid by merely disinfecting the rapid test samples. The swab samples can spread [the pandemic].”

The police charged the suspects under a 2009 medical law on the use of potentially dangerous materials, as well as a 1999 law on consumer protection. If found guilty, they faced up to five years in jail and a Rp. 2 billion [$138,478.26] fine.

Source:

https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/05/01/072039974/indonesian-police-thousands-affected-by-used-rapid-test-samples-in-north-sumatra?page=all#page2. 

Instagram @denpasar.viral A screen shot of a foreign tourist who painted a bogus mask on her face

Indonesian Officials in Bali Deport Foreigners Over Bogus Face Mask

Indonesian immigration officials in Bali have deported two foreign tourists, over a week after they stirred outrage among Indonesian netizens by using body painting to evade health protocols, and uploading a video of their actions.

Ministry of Law and Human Rights Bali Regional Office Head, Jamaruli Manihuruk said the two, Taiwanese-American citizen Lin Chi 'Joshua' Chen and Russian national Leia Se, were deported for violating local and national laws.

Joshua and Se's arrest and deportation occurred, eight days after the two posted a video of themselves on YouTube trying to enter a supermarket in Bali.

They initially tried to enter the shop without a mask, only for security to throw them. Joshua, who was already masked, then painted the lower part of Se’s face in the shape of a blue mask, then tried to reenter the shop.

Their gimmick succeeded, and both had a laugh and walked freely about the shop. But Indonesian netizens were less than amused, as immigration officials caught up with Joshua and Se and forced them to apologize for their actions on Instagram.

Joshua said he made the video for entertainment. “We had no intention to disrespect [health protocols] or discourage the public from wearing a mask,” Joshua stated.. “I did not realize [my actions] brought about negative comments from netizens and raised concerns.”

Indonesia has rigorously enforced health protocols like wearing masks in public or maintaining social distancing, since Covid-19 was first detected in the country in March 2020.

Law enforcement in Bali are authorized to fine foreign tourists committing their first health protocol offense, and to deport them for repeating the infraction.

Source:

https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/05/01/015536574/indonesian-officials-in-bali-deport-foreigners-over-bogus-face-mask?page=all#page2.