The Defense Minister checked the feasibility of the military base used as a place of observation for the 238 Indonesian citizens
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto, together with Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto, visited Natuna to check on 238 Indonesian quarantined there after returning from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, after the coronavirus outbreak. "The Defense Minister checked the feasibility of the military base used as a place of observation for the 238 Indonesian citizens," Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, spokesman of the Defense Minister, told reporters in Jakarta Wednesday.

Minister Prabowo also met the 238 Indonesian citizens personally, he added.

"He (Prabowo) expressed regrets and apologized to the 238 Indonesian citizens there for not being allowed to have direct contact with them due to strict rules during the observation period. He could only greet them from the bus," he said.

However, Prabowo understood the preventive measures and procedures as an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

"This shows that the country is ready to make efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus," Dahnil said.

The Indonesian Government recently sent an aircraft to Wuhan to pick up the 238 Indonesians, mostly students.

None of them was infected with the virus, but they had to be quarantined for a certain period on Indonesia's military base in Natuna, before being allowed to return to their families. (INE)
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Translator: Syaiful Hakim, Fardah
Editor: Suharto
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