Ministry Of Health: 59 Travelers From India Tested Positive For COVID-19, Bring New COVID-19 Variants?

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for COVID-19 of the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) Siti Nadia Tarmizi reported that 59 foreign travelers from India in Indonesia had tested positive for COVID-19.

"In the period of December 28, 2020, to April 25, 2021, we have had 59 positive cases from travelers from India", she said in a statement to journalists.

Of the 59 positive cases, 49 were foreign nationals from India, and ten were Indonesian citizens.

The 26 positive cases, she continued, were among them detected from travelers from India on April 10 to 25, 2021.

"Of the 26 cases, 24 were Indian citizens and two were Indonesian citizens", she said.

Siti Nadia said the specimens had been taken for 26 positive cases to be examined for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) or genome sequencing to find out whether there was a potential mutation or new variant of SARS-Cov-2 that causes COVID-19 such as B117, B1617, and B1351.

"Examination of specimens is carried out by sampling for the arrival of December 28 to April 10, 2021. We are still waiting for the specimens, both from the 26 positive ones and the specimens sampled in the previous period", she said.