Indonesian Airports Put 5 Countries on Coronavirus Watchlist

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Soekarno-Hatta Airport’s health office and state-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura II have implemented a tighter monitoring system against airplane passengers that arrive from countries affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The head of the airport’s health office, Anas Ma’ruf, said there were five countries the agency were currently monitoring, viz. China, South Korea, Singapore, Iran, and Italy. 

“We are stepping up the inspection and supervision of passengers from China, South Korea, Singapore, Iran, and Italy,” said Anas to Tempo on Monday, March 2. 

Anas also said New Zealand was on its watchlist as a coronavirus case from the country was revealed after the patient’s plane was in transit in Bali. 

The stricter health monitoring, he said, included 30-40 health workers conducting double temperature scans using thermal guns that were done when the passengers were still inside the airplane and the second after the passengers had stepped out of the airplane. 

The second layer of prevention of permanent thermal scanners are installed at Soekarno-Hatta Airport’s Terminal 3 and Terminal 2F. 

Angkasa Pura II president-director Muhammad Awaluddin assured that all of the airports run by the state-owned enterprise were prepared and equipped with the necessary tools to prevent and suppress the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Indonesia. 

JONIANSYAH HARDJONO