by Mathias Hariyadi

The Ministry of Health sets up temperature scanners in the country’s 13 international airports. Rumors of deaths from coronavirus denied, but cases are being examined by the authorities. Particular attention paid to pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia, the epicenter of the epidemic with 126 deaths and 463 infections.

Jakarta (AsiaNews ) - Indonesia's Ministry of Health has tightened controls at major international airports to prevent outbreaks of MERS, the Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome caused by coronavirus, a disease very similar to SARS . Health Minister, Nafsiah Mboy, denies rumors of deaths related to the disease in the country, although the alert remains high. In recent days, there were two suspicious deaths, one in Medan and the second in Bali; the other three cases are under close observation in the province of Riau, Sumatra, though so far there is no official confirmation.

The Medan victim could be the "first" MERS case in Indonesia , but it is still impossible to confirm  because the family refused permission for an autopsy and the patient died before in-depth tests could be carried out. He was returning from having complete the Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, and had symptoms related to coronaviruses.

Jakarta has stepped up checks, particularly for citizens returning from the Middle East. Most are migrant workers or pilgrims who have gone to the holy places of Islam, the epicenter of the development of the disease.

The measures being put in place include the detection of temperatures scanned in 13 major international airports in the archipelago and the requirement to fill out a health certificate. The Minister of Health confirms that, in cases of suspicious symptoms, the people will undergo complete check-ups.

Since January, there have been at least 47 suspected cases of MERS in 13 provinces of the country, 33 of which cannot be "confirmed". 11 others are being analyzed for further verification. Indonesia is the most populous Muslim nation in the world and has the highest number of pilgrims who every year travel to the holy places of Islam. With the approach of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting and prayer, at least 150 thousand Indonesians will travel to Saudi Arabia. In total there are 700 thousand who travel each year, alongside the 1.2 million migrants working in the Middle East, of which 858 thousand alone in the Saudi kingdom. Yesterday the authorities in Riyadh reported that five patients with MERS coronavirus have died, bringing the number of deaths since September 2012 to 126. The total number of coronavirus infections has now reached 463 .

 

• INDONESIA
• MERS
• coronavirus
• death
• saudi
• arabia
• hajj
• pilgrimage