59 Arrivals from India Contracted Covid-19, Says Indonesian Health Official

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - A spokesperson for the Covid-19 Mass Vaccination Program of the Ministry of Health Siti Nadia Tarmizi confirmed that 59 travelers, including 10 Indonesians, from India contracted Covid-19 upon arrival.

"As we know that from December 28 last year to April 25, we have detected 59 confirmed cases from India. Of the total number, 49 were Indian citizens and 10 were Indonesians," Nadia told a streamed news conference on Thursday, May 6.

Also read: Hospitalized Covid-19 Patient from India in Stable Condition in Jakarta

Nadia said that as many as 26 Indian citizens who contracted Covid-19 are undergoing whole genome sequencing (WGS) to look at all of the genes in the body to identify whether they are exposed to the latest variant of coronavirus, called B.1.617, which is common in India.

"The specimen test was also done to the arrivals between December 28, 2020, and April 10," said Nadia.

"We are currently still waiting for the test results, both the positive ones and the specimens that were taken previously," she said.

Also read: Indonesia Temporarily Bans Flights from India: Tourism Minister

It was reported that the mutation of the virus is suspected to affect the neutralization of some antibodies, but it has not been detected that it increases the risk of disease severity.

Based on the latest cases, members of the public are urged to further tighten the implementation of health protocols. The Ministry of Health said it is a collective obligation for all parties to prevent the transmission of Covid-19 by wearing masks, maintaining a safe distance, and washing hands.

(Writer: Dian Erika Nugraheny | Editor: Bayu Galih)

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/05/06/08561191/kemenkes-49-warga-negara-india-yang-masuk-indonesia-positif-covid-19.