One of the 96 children who tested positive for COVID-19 was a two-month old baby from Tidore Islands City, who later died.Ternate,. N Maluku (ANTARA) - As many as 96 children aged between 0 and 18 years in the Indonesian province of North Maluku have tested positive for COVID-19 since March this year, according to the local COVID-19 task force.
“One of the 96 children who tested positive for COVID-19 was a two-month old baby from Tidore Islands City, who later died,” spokesperson for the local Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling, Dr. Alwia Assagaf, said during a press conference in Ternate on Tuesday.
Most of the children who contracted the infection were students aged between 6 and 17 years. Hence, if the government opens face-to-face schooling, they could transmit the disease to other students, she said.
“In line with the recommendation of the Indonesian Association of Pediatricians (IDAI), the government should continue to provide online learning despite complaints from parents,” she advised.
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According to the results of molecular rapid tests (TCM) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests at the laboratory of Chasan Boesoene General Hospital in Ternate, North Maluku province, 11 additional cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the province on Tuesday, taking the total case tally to 1,691.
Six of the new confirmed cases of COVID-19 came from Morotai Island district, four from Tidore Islands district, and one from South Halmahera district.
She said the number of people who recovered from the disease increased by 13 on Tuesday, bringing total recoveries to 1,328. So far, 55 people have died of the disease in the province.
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Translator: Abdul Fatah/Suharto
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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