ID :
70417
Tue, 07/14/2009 - 21:51
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/70417
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SWINE FLU SUSPECTS IN RI TO BE QUARANTINED
Jakarta, July 14 (ANTARA) - Indonesia will quarantine swine flu suspects to prevent the H1N1 virus from spreading, a cabinet minister said.
"We will continue to implement the policy because we do not want to be like Malaysia or Singapore," Health Minister Siti Fadila Supari said after a cabinet meeting here on Tuesday.
She said the implementation of the policy involved a number of parties including port authorities that must pay more attention to people carrying symptoms like fever and others.
"We are paying special attention to those who are about to fall ill. If they are already sick we will quarantine them although the WHO in the US already considers it unnecessary," she said.
Siti Fadila said the entry of the swine flu virus into Indonesia was unstoppable because it was impossible to reject foreign tourists.
"What is clear is that the virus has already spread to all islands because we cannot refuse foreign tourist arrivals. We have tourists from France carrying the virus visiting West Nusa Tenggara and from the Netherlands in East Nusa Tenggara. We cannot refuse them. The important thing is asking the people to maintain healthy lifestyle. God willing, noone will die of the virus," she said.
She said the quarantine policy was made to prevent the number of suspects from increasing so that the condition would not be like in Malaysia, Singapore or South Korea.
"So we will remain on alert. The number of suspects in Malaysia is 700. In our country it is still one hundred. In South Korea 40 are found positive but their condition is improving but they are still quarantined because the international regulation requires it," she said.
She said since July 11 Indonesia has already imposed an extraordinary status (KLB) but the announcement was not made public but only to certain parties concerned.
"We have imposed a KLB since July 11 soon after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared level-6 alert," she said.
Siti Fadila called on the people to act healthily by wearing a mask when they suffered from an influenza and stayed at home while still being sick.
She said supply of tamiflu was secure until the end of 2009.
"We will continue to implement the policy because we do not want to be like Malaysia or Singapore," Health Minister Siti Fadila Supari said after a cabinet meeting here on Tuesday.
She said the implementation of the policy involved a number of parties including port authorities that must pay more attention to people carrying symptoms like fever and others.
"We are paying special attention to those who are about to fall ill. If they are already sick we will quarantine them although the WHO in the US already considers it unnecessary," she said.
Siti Fadila said the entry of the swine flu virus into Indonesia was unstoppable because it was impossible to reject foreign tourists.
"What is clear is that the virus has already spread to all islands because we cannot refuse foreign tourist arrivals. We have tourists from France carrying the virus visiting West Nusa Tenggara and from the Netherlands in East Nusa Tenggara. We cannot refuse them. The important thing is asking the people to maintain healthy lifestyle. God willing, noone will die of the virus," she said.
She said the quarantine policy was made to prevent the number of suspects from increasing so that the condition would not be like in Malaysia, Singapore or South Korea.
"So we will remain on alert. The number of suspects in Malaysia is 700. In our country it is still one hundred. In South Korea 40 are found positive but their condition is improving but they are still quarantined because the international regulation requires it," she said.
She said since July 11 Indonesia has already imposed an extraordinary status (KLB) but the announcement was not made public but only to certain parties concerned.
"We have imposed a KLB since July 11 soon after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared level-6 alert," she said.
Siti Fadila called on the people to act healthily by wearing a mask when they suffered from an influenza and stayed at home while still being sick.
She said supply of tamiflu was secure until the end of 2009.
