Health Ministry Clarifies Indian Covid-19 Variant Found in Indonesia

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Health Ministry's director for direct infectious diseases, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, clarified the ten positive cases of the new coronavirus variant was the  B117 variant. The so-called double mutation variant B1617 which was first detected in India, meanwhile, has not been found in the country to date.

“The Health Minister informs that the B117 variant has been found, not B1617,” said Nadia via a text message on Monday, April 26.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Monday that the new coronavirus mutation that is blamed for a spike in cases in India has entered the archipelago. At least 10 people infected with a new variant of Covid-19.

However, he stopped short of detailing the type of the new variant. India was reported to detect two new variants, namely B117 which was first detected in the UK and B1617 which has a double mutation.

The cases of the B117 variant had been identified in Indonesia since last March. There were ten cases found as of early April.

Nadia said the minister made Monday’s statement to remind all to prevent a dramatic hike in cases in India. To date, there has been no new case of B117 and no B1617 double mutation detected.

Three of ten B117 Covid-19 variant cases were found in Jakarta, two in West Java, two in North Sumatra, and each one case in South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, and East Kalimantan. The two cases in West Java were the result of contact tracing of positive cases of migrant workers from Saudi Arabia in Karawang.

Read: Jokowi Urges All to Work Hard to Prevent New Wave of Covid-19

DEWI NURITA