They will be quarantined until the swab test gave a negative result. If tested positive (for COVID-19), they would be transferred to a referral hospital for isolation
Batam, Riau Islands (ANTARA) - Some 197 Indonesian migrant workers completed their 14-day quarantine period in the Batam City administration's flats in Riau Islands and can return to their hometowns.

Batam Health Office Head Didi Kusmarjadi stated here on Friday that 13 migrant workers had departed for their cities of origin on Thursday (June 4).

"Two workers returned back to Pekanbaru (Riau), one to Palembang (South Sumatra), one to Jakarta, three to Surabaya (East Java), and six to Lampung," he revealed.

The migrant workers arrived at the Batam Centre International Port on May 21.

Kusmarjadi noted that the workers will pay for the expenses involved in returning to the regions, while the Batam City administration had borne the living costs during their stay in the flats.

Secretary of the Batam Social Affairs Office Leo Putra stated that the city had allotted Rp3 billion to quarantine people under surveillance for COVID-19, including the migrant workers.

"They will be quarantined until the swab test gave a negative result. If tested positive (for COVID-19), they would be transferred to a referral hospital for isolation," he explained.

Earlier, 239 Indonesian migrant workers, who had returned from Malaysia through the Batam Port, were quarantined in a block of flats managed by the Batam City administration.

The migrant workers arrived in Batam via ship in two batches from Malaysia.

Batam City Secretary Jefridin Hamid had earlier remarked that all migrant workers that arrived in Batam would undergo quarantine and health checkups.
Related news: Repatriating 4,800 undocumented Indonesians in Malaysia June 6 onwards

Related news: Marsudi confirms 103,774 abroad-returned Indonesians as of May 27

EDITED BY INE

Translator: Yuniati J Naim, Sri Haryati
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2020