153 People Under Observation Amid COVID-19 Concern, Gov't Says

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Achmad Yurianto, a spokesman for the national coronavirus outbreak mitigation, said that a total of 153 people are currently placed under observation (PDP) in cases of the infection of the novel coronavirus or COVID-19. To date, the sample of nine patients was still being examined.

"We are waiting for the test result of nine people’s samples. Because deciding a case does not only require one method of examination such as PCR (polymerase chain reaction)," said Yurianto during a press conference at Presidential Staff Office on Jalan Medan Merdeka Utara, Central Jakarta on Thursday, March 5, 2020.

Yurianto said the test result through PCR could be obtained in a short time or under 24 hours. However, to confirm a case as positive, the Health Ministry adopts a genome sequence test that the result will come out within three days. Besides, the 156 patients hailed from 35 hospitals across 23 provinces.

The PDP category that is meant for people who are put under the observation is created since the government needs to conduct a standard for patients who have no severe symptoms or not considered as patients suspected of having contracted the virus.

Yurianto asserted that people in the PDP category were different than those in the ODP category–people who are under close monitoring. "The ODP category does not necessarily mean that the people are sick. We conduct the monitoring to quickly track and trace in case they test positive for the COVID-19," Yurianto added.

Apart from the 153 people, Yurianto said the government was also observing two groups of people. They are crew members of Diamond Princess and World Dream cruise ships who are being quarantined in Sebaru Kecil Islet in the Thousand Islands.

EGI ADYATAMA