Beware Of COVID-19 Via The 'Rat Path' For Foreigners In North Kalimantan

Chairman of the Task Force (Task Force) Handling COVID-19, Doni Monardo (Photo: Doc BNPB)

JAKARTA - Chairperson of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force Doni Monardo asked the Provincial Government of North Kalimantan to be aware of the entry of foreign nationals (WNA) through national borders to their regions.

The head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) believes that the potential for COVID-19 transmission can occur more across borders in neighboring countries with North Kalimantan.

This is because Doni feels it is an open secret that there are still many illegal entrances or "rat path" along the North Kalimantan border where there are no COVID-19 tests when they arrive.

"We have to anticipate. We have to be vigilant”, said Doni at the Coordination Meeting for Handling COVID-19 with the Nunukan Regency Government in Nunukan, North Kalimantan, Tuesday, March 30.

Moreover, every person who arrives in Indonesia via an official flight, even though they already have a negative COVID-19 result when departing from their home country, there are still those who are positive for COVID-19 when retested in Indonesia.

Referring to the travel data for Indonesian citizens and foreigners who arrived in Indonesia via the official Soekarno-Hatta airport route in Tangerang from the end of December 2020 to March 26, 2021, Doni received reports that 614 people from a total of 1.974 were reported to be positive for COVID-19 after going through two PCR tests by the Port Health Office (KKP).

"As of today, those who have tested positive from abroad after going through two PCR swabs there are 614 people who have tested positive for COVID-19. Even though those who arrived brought the documents resulting from negative swabs", he explained.

In addition, BNPB also provided assistance of IDR 3 billion to accelerate the handling of COVID-19 in North Kalimantan.

The details of the support provided include 20 thermometer gun kits, 2.000 PPE clothes, 2.000 goggles, 2.000 face shields, 50 pulse oximeter units, 100.000 cloth masks, 20.000 antigen test swabs, and 2 ventilator units for the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of North Kalimantan Province.

Then 50 thousand cloth masks, 10 thousand medical masks, and 5.000 antigen test swabs for BPBD Nunukan Regency.