Coronavirus Fear; Indonesia Tightens Entry Rules for 4 Nationals
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4 March 2020 21:59 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government will not restrict the entry of foreigners from four countries which become the epicenters of the Coronavirus spread after China, namely Korea, Japan, Italy, and Iran. Nevertheless, the government will tighten the entry rules for foreigners from those countries.
First, special lanes at the airport. "There will be a special lane to scan [passengers] and quarantine will be carried out if the authorities find people who have a fever or a cold," said Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta on Wednesday, March 4, 2020.
Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko added foreigners from the four countries must have a healthy certificate prior to visiting Indonesia. "We have coordinated with immigration, they must have a healthy certificate," he said.
In addition, the government will examine the traces of the foreigners' trips to and from anywhere. "So we will trace the story of their journeys first when they are about to enter our territory," said Moeldoko.
So far, the four countries recorded the most COVID-19 cases. As of March 1, 2020, South Korea confirmed 376 new cases of patients infected with the Coronavirus, totaling to 3,526 Covid-19 patients. The amount is the largest among the four countries outside China.
While in Iran, as of March 2, its Deputy Minister of Health Alireza Raisi reported 523 infections and 12 new deaths related to the Coronavirus, so that the total cases of Covid-19 in Iran as of Monday night reached 1,501 cases with 66 deaths. The 7th Vice President of Iran, Massoumeh Ebteka, also infected by that virus.
In Japan and Italy, positive cases of COVID-19 also increase day by day. In Japan, there are 239 cases related to the new virus and six of them died. As for Italy, there are currently 2,000 cases of Coronavirus, according to a report quoted by Channel News Asia on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.
Italy becomes the center of the largest epidemic spread as well as the country with the worst impact due to the COVID-19 in Europe.
Dewi Nurita | Galuh Kurnia Ramadhani (Intern Translator)