TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-The Minister of Health Nila Moeloek has coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue the travel advisory to Singapore. “We asked for the advice from the ministry of foreign affairs. Finally, Indonesia will issue a travel advisory to Singapore,” Nila said in the parliament office Wednesday, August 31, 2016.

As the prevention measure of the increasing number of Zika-positive patients in Singapore, the travel advisory is being issued, according to Nila. The number of patients that have been infected with the virus has reached 82 people as of Monday, August 29.

Nila urged people to reconsider the plan on travelling to Singapore. She is not forbidding people who have importance to cancel the trip, “But if it can be delayed, it’s better to delay,” she said.

More specifically, Nila urged pregnant women to reconsider the trip to Singapore. It is feared that the baby inside will be infected with microcephaly when the mother is infected with Zika Virus.

Microcephaly is a congenital malformation of babies born with a smaller head size due to the brain development in the womb. “Pregnant mothers better consider that,” she added.

Three countries including Australia, Taiwan, and South Korea have issued the travel warning to Singapore on Monday and Tuesday, 29-30th of August 2016. They are urging their citizen, especially the pregnant and the one in the middle course of pregnancy, to not travel to Singapore.

MITRA TARIGAN