Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands (ANTARA) - The Riau Islands provincial government is raising awareness after learning that coronavirus had infected people, including an Indonesian in Singapore.
The province's head of the health office, Tjetjep Yudiana, highlighting the need to raise such awareness since the islands were neighbors to Singapore. One of the islands, Batam, is only located at a distance of 30 kilometers by sea to Singapore.
Batam, Tanjungpinang, and Karimun are the areas most vulnerable to virus transmission. Hence, some precautionary measures have been taken, including screening for air and sea passengers as well as the use of masks by airport and port officials.
"There is a need to increase vigilance, especially at the entrances of Batam, Tanjungpinang, and Karimun. All three areas are most visited by tourists, especially from Singapore," he stated.
However, Yudiana urged the public to not panic in response to this outbreak. People are also told to be careful while reading or hearing any information pertaining to the coronavirus, originally found in Wuhan City of China.
"Do not believe in hoaxes," he stated.
An Indonesian migrant worker had reportedly contracted the novel coronavirus and is currently hospitalized in Singapore.
This ailing Indonesian is the 21st coronavirus case in Singapore, but is the first confirmed case of an Indonesian.
As of February 5, 2020, Singapore had recorded 385 suspected coronavirus cases, with the details of 28 people testing positive for the coronavirus infection -- one of whom had recovered and was allowed to go home -- while 295 people had tested negative.
As many as 62 other people are still awaiting the examination results.
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