The 188 Dream World crew members have been quarantined for 10 days, and they will enter their 14th day of quarantine this ThursdayJakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Health Ministry's Disease Control and Prevention Directorate General has requested crew members of Dream World and Diamond Princess cruise ships to undergo self-quarantine for 14 days after leaving Sebaru Kecil Island, Jakarta's Thousand Islands. "The 188 Dream World crew members have been quarantined for 10 days, and they will enter their 14th day of quarantine this Thursday," the Director General of Disease Control and Prevention at the Health Ministry, Achmad Yurianto told journalists at the Presidential Office here Monday.
During their stay on the island, they were told to return to their respective houses and remain there once they left the island, said Yurianto who is also the government's spokesman for handling the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
The health of all Dream World crew members who were evacuated from Durian Strait' waters in the Riau Islands Province on February 26, 2020 has so far remained stable, he said and added that they have been advised to keep wearing medical masks and reduce unnecessary outdoor activities after leaving the island.
"We have recommended that they wear medical masks, reduce unnecessary outdoor activities and keep maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which includes the consumption of nourishing food," he said.
If they suffer any symptoms of COVID-19, they are to go to the nearest hospital for a medical 0examination. "Having a fever cannot be judged as a symptom of COVID-19 but maintaining alertness is important," he said.
The order to conduct self-quarantine for 14 days has not been imposed only on the 188 crew members of Dream World but is also directed at the 69 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, who were evacuated from the PLN Sumuradem Port in Indramayu, West Java, on March 1, 2020.
The self-quarantine has also been imposed on the 35 personnel from the Health Ministry and 40 from the Indonesian Defense Force (TNI) who serve the two cruise ships' crew members, he added.
The Indonesian government has put in place precautionary measures since the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak that had 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 February 2, a total of 238 Indonesian nationals were airlifted from Wuhan, China, to 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 Dream World and 69 Indonesians employed as cabin crew members of the Diamond Princess. (INE)
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Translator: Desca LN, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Atman Ahdiat
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