Indonesia Confirms First Coronavirus Cases in Its Territory, two women tested positive

Last updated on May 6th, 2021 at 07:42 am

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo announced on Tuesday, March 3 for two novel coronavirus cases in its territory after diagnosing two women— a 64-year old woman and her 31-year old daughter living in Depok, a West Java suburb just outside Jakarta. They had been in contact with a Japanese man coming from Malaysia who tested positive there on Feb. 27 after visiting Indonesia in early February.

Health Minister Agus Terawan Putranto said the women had tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2, a new strain of the coronavirus that causes the pneumonia-like Covid-19 disease, and are now kept in isolation at the Prof. Dr. Sulianti Saroso Hospital for Infectious Diseases in North Jakarta.

The two COVID-19 patients are being treated in an isolated room at a different building within this infectious diseases hospital’s complex area. They are currently in good condition, Agus said.

According to Jokowi, a team in Indonesia went straight away to track down that Japanese man’s activities and who he had met in Indonesia.

There was information on last week, that Japan said it identified a man who had contracted the coronavirus after returning from Indonesia.

Beside than that, last weekend, the New Zealand authorities also reported a woman, aged in her 60s, arriving from Iran with the coronavirus. She was reported spending an unidentified time transiting in Bali previously.

The Indonesian government has insisted it has the capability to detect the virus early and contain its spread with presence of 100 hospitals across the country.

President Jokowi said these hospitals had capablity to treat patients infected with the novel coronavirus.

The hospitals having previous experience in containing the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), the other diseases caused by the coronavirus family.

According to studies emerging out of China, virus spreads through droplets coughed out by infected patients and can survive on a solid surface for up to two days.

For avoidance from getting virus infected, Experts say the most effective way by washing hands with soap regularly, keeping a meter’s distance from people also avoid touching face, shaking hands or touching surfaces in public areas.