Latest Data From The Ministry Of Health: 18 Pilgrims Positive For COVID-19

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health reported that as many as 18 Indonesian pilgrims had COVID-19 after returning home from Saudi Arabia.

"As of today, we have added four more Indonesian pilgrims who have tested positive for COVID-19. So a total of 18 pilgrims have been confirmed positive," said Head of the Health Ministry's Hajj Health Center, Budi Sylvana, as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, July 20.

According to Budi, as many as 17 hajj pilgrims who are positive for COVID-19 are currently in Surabaya and one is in Solo. All patients experienced mild symptoms, making it possible to undergo self-isolation at their respective residences.

The Ministry of Health requires all members of the Indonesian Hajj pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia to undergo health screening at every debarkation to prevent the importation of COVID-19 cases.

The provisions of the COVID-19 Antigen screening examination, which were originally randomly carried out on 10 percent of the total number of pilgrims in each group, have now been carried out on all pilgrims returning to Indonesia.

These provisions are regulated in the Notification Letter of the Directorate General of Disease Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia Number SR.03.4/C/3519/2022 concerning Amendments to Provisions for Supervision which are effective as of July 15, 2022.

Health screening is carried out at each debarkation. Congregants who are declared reactive on the results of the antigen examination, immediately undergo an RT-PCR test.

"For healthy pilgrims, later they can return to their respective homes, but they are still required to carry out independent monitoring for the next 21 days," he said.

Budi said that until now more than 15 thousand hajj pilgrims have arrived in the country, around 85,000 others are still in Saudi Arabia waiting for their turn to return.