Ministry Of Health Affirms The New B117 COVID-19 Mutation Has Not Emerged In Jakarta

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JAKARTA - The Health Ministry's Director General of Direct Contagious Diseases Prevention and Control (P2PML) Siti Nadia Tarmizi emphasized that cases of the new COVID-19 B117 mutation have not been found in Jakarta.

Until now, six mutated coronavirus cases have been found. Most of them are travelers who have just returned from abroad.

"It turns out that the origin of this case is not in DKI Jakarta. Yesterday, we clarified again so that none of the six cases came from DKI Jakarta", said Nadia in a YouTube broadcast of the National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB), Friday, March 12.

The six cases of the new mutation include two Karawang residents, one in North Sumatra, one in South Sumatra, one in South Kalimantan, and one in East Kalimantan.

"Of course we will continue to monitor mutations of the COVID-19 virus. Whole-genome sequencing activities are carried out through PCR examinations. This has been done since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic emerging in Indonesia", he said.

As previously reported, Wiku Adisasmito, a Spokesperson for the Task Force for Handling COVID-19, said that the government continues to strive to minimize the transmission of the COVID-19 mutation, namely B117, which has infected six Indonesian citizens.

One of them is by conducting strict screening for those who have just traveled from abroad.

"In principle, preventing the entry of cross-border transmissions or mutations of the COVID-19 virus will continue to be improved through a rigorous screening process, in accordance with SE Number 8 of 2021", said Wiku.

In this circular, it has been regulated that travelers and immigrants who are foreign citizens cannot enter Indonesia.

"Unless they fall into the criteria in accordance with Regulation of the Minister of Law and Human Rights (Permenkumham) Number 26 of 2020 and in accordance with the travel corridor arrangement or TCA agreement scheme and/or get special consideration or permission from the relevant ministries or institutions", he explained.

Meanwhile, Indonesian citizens who enter the country are required to carry out quarantine even though the test results with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method stated that they were negative for COVID-19. This step, said Wiku, was carried out to ensure that mutations of the B117 virus or others did not spread in Indonesia.

"In addition, tracing continues to be carried out for people who have close contact with those who have contracted COVID-19 B-117", he said.