The ship, with a capacity of 45,000 DWT, has 21 crew members, including its captain. Each of them will be subject to a thorough health examination conducted by our health workersManokwari, W Papua (ANTARA) - The Indonesian authorities from immigration and other related agencies in Manokwari, West Papua Province’s capital, will not allow crew members of a Chinese cargo vessel arriving in the near future to alight from their ship.
"The ship, with a capacity of 45,000 DWT, has 21 crew members, including its captain. Each of them will be subject to a thorough health examination conducted by our health workers," Head of the Manokwari Immigration Office Bugie Kurniawan told journalists here on Tuesday.
However, Kurniawan did not divulge when the cargo ship will arrive at the PT SDIC Papua Cement Indonesia's port to load cement. He merely pledged to conduct a comprehensive check on the vessel and all its crew members to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
"All the ship's crew are Chinese nationals. We have coordinated with all related authorities to take precautionary measures in our efforts to halt the spread of COVID-19 outbreak," he stated.
On arrival of the ship, the seaport's health authority will examine the health condition of all crew before the immigration officials check their immigration-related documents. The customs and excise officials will thereafter examine the cargo.
In connection with matters related to the COVID-19 infection, West Papua Governor Dominggus Mandacan had earlier instructed local authorities to conduct a detailed check of all foreigners entering the province and intensify surveillance at both airport and seaports.
The Indonesian government has put in place precautionary measures since the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak that first struck the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of December 2019.
In addition to installing thermal scanners at the country's airports and seaports as well as making preparations at hospitals across the archipelago, the Indonesian government had repatriated several hundreds of its citizens.
On Feb 2, a total of 238 Indonesian nationals were airlifted from Wuhan, China, to then be quarantined in Natuna District's area in Riau Islands Province. All of them were found to be healthy and sent back to their families.
The Indonesian government also repatriated 188 Indonesians employed as crew members of the cruise ship World Dream liner and 69 Indonesians employed as cabin crew members of the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
The World Dream cruise ship's crew members have been sent to Sebaru Kecil Island, Jakarta's Thousand Islands, for a 14-day quarantine, while 69 others are to be brought to the same island this week.
The deadly virus outbreak, which has infected 65 countries, including Indonesia, claimed at least three thousand lives -- most of whom are in China, and infected over 88,400 people worldwide.
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Translator: Toyiban, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Sri Haryati
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