Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK’s) 13 employees and this anti-graft agency’s detainee tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) based on the results of their recent swab tests, the agency's spokesman, Ali Fikri, confirmed.
The agency's workers had opted for self-quarantine through collaboration with health authorities from public health centers near all employees' residences, Fikri was quoted by ANTARA as saying in Jakarta on Friday.
"The infected inmate is quarantined at the National Police Hospital," he remarked, adding that the KPK had again conducted a swab test program for its workers and inmates by collaborating with the agency's clinic and the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital on Thursday.
PCR testing was conducted as part of the KPK's precautionary measures for halting the spread of COVID-19 among those at the KPK building.
Fikri also confirmed that Novel Baswedan, the agency's senior investigator, was one of those testing positive for the virus that causes COVID-19.
In conversation with ANTARA, Baswedan noted that apart from the mandatory self-isolation, he otherwise felt healthy.
"Alhamdulillah (Thank God), I feel healthy," he stated.
Baswedan spoke of having tested positive for COVID-19 based on the swab test that he had recently undertaken. He had earlier developed symptoms of COVID-19, such as cough and fever.
Novel coronavirus infections initially surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019.
Since then, COVID-19 has spread to over 215 countries and territories, including 34 provinces of Indonesia, with a massive spurt in death toll.
To tackle this COVID-19 pandemic that has triggered public health and economic crises in several affected countries, Indonesia is leaving no stone unturned to develop a vaccine to fight the virus.
Currently, in addition to the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, Indonesian scientists are working on a vaccine named after the country's national flag, Merah Putih (Red and White).
The pandemic has acutely impacted Indonesia's economy, with the nation’s gross domestic product contracting 5.32 percent in the second quarter of this year.
The government has laid emphasis on the criticality of solid support of and active participation from all elements of society to tackle the public health and economic crises.
EDITED BY INE
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