Govt Addresses Harvard's Doubt on Coronavirus Handling
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12 February 2020 09:29 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto challenged research epidemiologist from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Marc Lipsitch, who feared that the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) had spread in Indonesia unnoticed by the Indonesian government.
“Tell Harvard to come to Indonesia. I will order the doors to be opened for them to see. There is nothing that is covered up,” said Minister Terawan at the Bogor Presidential Palace on Tuesday, February 11.
Not only did the state minister challenge the researcher to disprove the study, but Terawan also asserts that Indonesia has adhered to international standards regarding equipment to detect the virus outbreak from China’s province of Wuhan.
Since the novel coronavirus outbreak, the Indonesian Health Ministry reported 62 cases of suspected infections which were later deemed negative following stringent medical tests.
“We owe it to God that the coronavirus has yet spread in Indonesia. It’s because of our prayers. We do not wish upon something like that will reach Indonesia,” said the Health Minister.
DEWI NURITA
