13 Pilgrims Early Return Wave Exposed COVID-19

ILLUSTRATION DOK VOI

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health Mohammad Syahril reported that as many as 13 pilgrims who arrived in Indonesia from Saudi Arabia were confirmed to have COVID-19.

"Currently there are only 13 pilgrims (confirmed positive for COVID-19). There are in Surabaya and others," said Mohammad Syahril as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, July 19.

Syahril said the figure was obtained from pilgrims who were members of the initial batch of departures to return to the country since July 16, 2022.

The Ministry of Religion reported that 11,588 regular pilgrims had arrived in Indonesia on the fourth day of the first phase of the return phase. A total of 1,759 of them are regular pilgrims.

The return of the first batch of pilgrims will last until July 29, 2022. Today, there are seven groups that will return to five debarkations, namely three groups to the Jakarta-Pondok Gede debarkation of 1,195 people and one group each heading to the Jakarta-Bekasi debarkation of 409 people, Solo 360 people, Padang 393 people, and Surabaya 448 people.

According to Syahril, pilgrims who were confirmed positive for COVID-19 underwent self-isolation by following the general health protocols of other patients.

Based on the current health protocol, said Syahril, not all pilgrims are required to undergo an antigen test or RT-PCR when arriving at debarkation, except for those with symptoms.

"The problem is that we have received a booster vaccine (boosting dose)," he said.

Meanwhile, for the pilgrims who come in good health, said Syahril, they are allowed to return to their respective places of residence, but must monitor their health conditions for the next 21 days.

The Ministry of Health has distributed Hajj Congregation Health Alert Cards (K3JH) to every hajj pilgrim who arrives at the debarkation containing a history of health screening while in Saudi Arabia.

K3JH is useful for monitoring the health condition of the congregation considering that the incubation period for SARS-CoV-2 which causes COVID-19 is around two weeks after close contact with the patient.

According to Syahril, as many as 13 pilgrims were confirmed positive for COVID-19, reported from six debarkations in Indonesia. "The number of cases is not very significant, the numbers are ordinary," he said.