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Indonesia Detects 19 Locally Transmitted Cases of Mutant Covid Strains: Deputy Health Minister

Indonesia's Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono said that 19 locally transmitted cases of several new strains of the coronavirus known as variants of concern have been detected in the country.

The variants of concern are the mutant strains of coronavirus comprising the UK's variant (also known as B.1.1.7), South Africa's variant (B.1351), and India's covid-19 variant (B.1617.2).

"It means that there has been a spread of local transmission in Indonesia for the variant of concern that occurred without a history of overseas travel," said Dante on Thursday, May 27.

"We also identify several provinces where variants of concern were found. So, the mutations have occurred in several places in Indonesia," he said.

Meanwhile, Dante revealed that 35 people contracted Covid-19 while traveling overseas. This included 14 Filipino crew members whose ship berthed at the Cilacap Port. The relevant authorities then conducted contact tracing to the people in the area.

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/05/27/194016674/indonesia-detects-19-locally-transmitted-cases-of-mutant-covid-strains-deputy.