This is not miscommunication. It is just late information. The situation develops so rapidly that the government works at high speed soon after receiving a greenlight for evacuating our citizens from Wuhan, China
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD, admitted to the government’s slight delay in informing the residents of Natuna, Riau Islands, on its decision to send 238 Indonesians, airlifted from Wuhan City, China, to Natuna for quarantine.

"This is not miscommunication. It is just late information. The situation develops so rapidly that the government works at high speed soon after receiving a greenlight for evacuating our citizens from Wuhan, China," he noted here on Tuesday.

In such a situation, the government took a prompt decision to choose Natuna District as a place for the evacuees to carry out the quarantine process, he stated while receiving the visit of Natuna District Head Abdul Hamid Rizal.

Rizal was accompanied by his deputy, Ngesti Yuni Suprapti, Head of Natuna District's Legislative Body Andes Putra, and representatives of Natuna District's civil society groups while Mahfud MD was accompanied by two related ministers.

Natuna was selected owing to its easy accessibility and being most secure. It also had a military compound, thereby enabling quick responses, he informed his guests at the meeting, also attended by Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto and Home Minister Tito Karnavian.

However, a misunderstanding resulted from the delayed communication between the district administration and its people, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD stated.

He also promised to inform President Joko Widodo of the willingness of the Natuna district administration officials to meet with him. At least, he would come to Natuna to observe the situation on March 6," Mahfud MD remarked.

Putranto will also work temporarily from Natuna District until all Indonesians, airlifted from Wuhan, China, had completed their quarantine processes, Mahfud MD revealed.

The local residents rejected the government's decision to make Natuna the quarantine site for the evacuees.

Several hundred residents had also departed from Ranai a day after 238 Indonesians, who got airlifted from Wuhan, China's epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak, arrived in Natuna since they were concerned about getting infected by the deadly virus.

Putranto stated that 238 Indonesians were airlifted from Wuhan, while seven others remained in the Chinese city.

Four of the seven Indonesians refused to get evacuated since they felt more comfortable there, though they had been offered to join the emergency evacuation, while three others failed in the Chinese authorities' health examinations prior to departure, he stated. (INE).

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Translator: Syaiful H, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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