30 seminarians hit with Covid-19 in West Kalimantan
Harrison, head of the health division of the province of West Kalimantan: "Most are symptom-free and only one seminarian has lost his sense of smell." In the province of West Kalimantan, the total number of cases is 780 with 655 hospitalizations and 6 deaths.
Sintang (AsiaNews) - At least thirty seminarians from the minor seminary of St. John Maria Vianney in Sintang, in the province of Western Kalimantan, have confirmed that they have a Covid-19 contract, dean Father Nuel Faot confirms today to AsiaNews. "All seminarians who have contracted the coronavirus - he says - have been treated very well by the local health authority".
They are now receiving medical treatment at the Ade M Djoen local government hospital in downtown Sintang.
The priest also confirms that all activities in the minor seminary of St. John Mary Vianney have been stopped for the next 14 days.
News of the contagion spread yesterday when Harrison, head of the health division of West Kalimantan province, publicly revealed that a new Covid-19 outbreak had been detected in Sintang. "Most - explained Harrison - are without symptoms and only one seminarian has lost his sense of smell".
“The initial report says that only five seminarians have positively contracted the virus. But then some others had contact with at least 30 patients,” Harrison said from the provincial capital of Pontianak.
Sintang is far from Pontianak. It takes almost 45 minutes by plane to reach Sintang from Pontianak or at least about 10 hours by car on poor roads.
The virus was first detected in the seminary, Harrison says, when a local mobile PCR test was randomly performed in the seminary after a local doctor received a patient who had a high fever since last Thursday and had lost his sense of smell.
And the PCR result was positive.
PCR tests were also conducted on 98 residents of the seminary college, including kitchen staff and gardeners. "That's why, all seminarians are strictly forbidden to leave the venue and no one is allowed to visit the seminary," Harrison said.
In the West Kalimantan province, the total number of cases is 780 with 655 hospitalizations and 6 deaths.
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