Sugiarto received the result of his throat swap test on Thursday afternoon that confirmed he had contracted the virus, Acting Head of Bogor City Administration's Health Office Sri Nowo Retno noted in her press statement here on Friday.
Sugiarto and four officials of the city government had undergone a medical checkup at the Bogor Senior Hospital on March 17 or a day after they arrived from their official trip to Turkey and Azerbaijan, she remarked.
Their swab tests confirmed that the city mayor and one of the four city government's officials had been infected with COVID-19, Retno, concurrently spokesperson of the Bogor City Administration's COVID-19 Emergency Response, stated.
Sugiarto and his entourage had, in fact, abided by the healthcare protocols that the central government had recently issued, she remarked, adding that the city mayor had laid complete trust on the Bogor City Public Hospital’s authority for his treatment during his isolation period.
COVID-19, which initially struck in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of December 2019, has killed at least 8,778 people and infected at least 209,839 people in 168 countries and territories worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In Indonesia, the virus has infected at least 309 people and killed 25 while 15 others have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. The percentage of Indonesia's death toll is the highest of those in other countries in Southeast Asia.
Taking into account the increasing death toll and the spread of this virus, the WHO has declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic.
The Indonesian government has put in place precautionary measures since the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak.
Along with installing thermal scanners at the country's airports and seaports as well as making preparations at hospitals across the archipelago, the Indonesian government has repatriated several hundred citizens.
On February 2, a total of 238 Indonesian nationals were airlifted from Wuhan, China, to be quarantined in Natuna District's Riau Islands Province. All these Indonesians were found to be healthy and were reunited with their families.
On March 2, 2020, President Jokowi announced that two Indonesians had tested positive for COVID-19. The number of infected confirmed by the government tended to rise steadily over the past days.
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Translator: Riza H, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
