Batam, Riau Islands (ANTARA) - A probable case of the Omicron variant infection was found in a Singaporean citizen as indicated in the STGF test during his stay in Batam City, Riau Islands Province.

The Singaporean is currently being treated at the Budi Kemuliaan Hospital, Batam.

"The Singaporean foreigner (had to undergo) PCR test as a prerequisite for entering (office for) work," Head of the Batam City Health Office Didi Kusmarjadi stated here on Saturday.

The Batam Health Office on January 29, 2022, detected eight fresh cases of Omicron, including that of a Singaporean. One of them had left for Pekanbaru, he added.

Six other patients exposed to Omicron are currently being treated at the Galang Island Hospital.

The six infected people comprise a high school teacher of Batuaji, a traveler from Jakarta, a private employee due to undergo surgery, a migrant from Central Java scheduled to work in Singapore, a traveler from Bogor, and an Indonesian migrant worker coming from Malaysia.

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Kusmarjadi remarked that the eight probable cases of Omicron were declared on the basis of STGF tests. They would later undergo Whole Genome Sequencing tests as the next stage.

With the addition of seven cases today, the number of people exposed to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Batam totals 12.

Based on the tracing of contacts with five Omicron-infected patients, three people were found to be infected with COVID-19, but the variant had to be determined by SGTF tests.

"The SGTF tests are in the process," he stated.

All the Omicron patients are in good condition, according to Kusmarjadi.


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Translator: Yuniati JN, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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