Shortly after their medical examination was conducted, they were urged to board the vessel and were not allowed to speak to local residents
Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - Some 33 fishermen from Pekalongan District, Central Java, arriving at Sadeng Beach, Gunung Kidul District, Yogyakarta Province, on April 18 are undergoing a 14-day self-quarantine aboard a fishing vessel.

The fishermen traveled to Sadeng Beach aboard a vehicle and were allowed to enter the Sadeng Port area. However, they were obliged to conduct self-quarantine for 14 days, Head of the Sadeng Fishermen's Group Sarpan informed journalists here on Monday.

The local fishermen's group has imposed a rule that fishers coming from outside the Sadeng area should be quarantined for 14 days in its endeavor to contain the coronavirus outbreak, he stated.

Paramedics of the Girisubo Health Center conducted a health exam of the Pekalongan fishermen before they boarded the 30-gross tonnage (GT) fishing vessel in a bid to contain the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Sarpan revealed.

"Shortly after their medical examination was conducted, they were urged to board the vessel and were not allowed to speak to local residents," he noted, adding that their health condition was being monitored through a radio communication equipment.

Sarpan clarified that during their quarantine period, the fishermen were allowed to engage in activities, such as going fishing, but were prohibited from venturing on the beach.

Indonesia has been battling the coronavirus disease that initially struck the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019. Since then, it has spread to at least 202 countries and territories, including Indonesia, with a significant spike in the death toll.

This condition has prompted the World Health Organization to declare it a global pandemic. Public health and economy in so many countries are reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With COVID-19 infections spreading to all 34 provinces in Indonesia, President Jokowi has declared the coronavirus outbreak a national disaster.

In breaking the chains of this coronavirus outbreak, several city, district, and provincial governments in Indonesia have also imposed large-scale social restriction measures.

As of Sunday (April 19), Indonesia had 6,575 confirmed cases, while death toll from the virus had reached 582, and 686 patients had been discharged from hospitals.

Currently, the 34 provinces has at least 176,344 cases of people under monitoring and 12,979 patients under surveillance. Jakarta remains Indonesia's hotbed for COVID-19 infection, with the highest number of confirmed cases.
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Translator: Sutarmi, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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