Indonesia has recorded the first two cases of the highly contagious strain of Covid 19 that first appeared in India, said Indonesian Minister of Health, Bodhi Gonadi Sadikin.
“We must contain these cases at their inception, as there are only a few of them,” the minister added today, Monday, in an Internet conference.
Donny Monardo, head of the Coronavirus Task Force, said at the same press conference, addressing his citizens: “Do not travel to your hometowns. Do not go on vacation in your hometowns. Be patient.”
Two cases of the Indian strain, known as “B617.1”, were recorded in the capital, Jakarta, while the Minister of Health said that the South African strain was also detected on the island of Bali.
And the authorities in Indonesia, which is the most populous Muslim country in the world, banned travel between regions during the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, for the second year in a row, to reduce infection.
And last month, Indonesia, which is trying to contain one of the worst outbreaks of Covid 19 in Asia, stopped issuing entry visas to any foreigner who had visited India within 14 days of requesting the visa.