Widodo to undergo test for Covid-19

JAKARTA: Indonesian President Joko Widodo said yesterday he would get tested for coronavirus, while some of his ministers had also undergone tests after the Southeast Asian country’s transport minister tested positive for the disease.

Mr Widodo also suggested people work from home and avoid mass gatherings, as he sought to calm rising concerns about the spread of the virus in the sprawling archipelago.

Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, reported yesterday that the number of infections had risen by 21 to 117. Five people with the virus have died in the country.

Jakarta and several other provinces and cities have already announced school closures starting this week, and some companies are asking staff to work from home.

Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi was confirmed to be suffering from Covid19 on Saturday. Mr Widodo, who led a cabinet meeting attended by Mr Sumadi on Wednesday, said the minister was still being isolated in a hospital.

Other ministers, including State OwnedEnterprises Minister Erick Thohir, were tested for coronavirus yesterday, CNBC Indonesia reported.

Sofyan Djalil, a minister in charge of land planning who was sitting closest to Mr Sumadi at the cabinet meeting, had tested negative, a ministry spokeswoman said.

While most confirmed cases have been clustered in Jakarta, cases have also been reported in cities in western and central Java, Manado on Sulawesi island, Pontianak on Borneo island and the holiday island of Bali.

The president said he would let regional governments decide on whether to declare emergency status over outbreaks.

“The most important thing right now is social distancing, how we maintain a distance. That’s why I said in this condition we should work from home, learn at home and pray at home,” Mr Widodo said.

Jusuf Kalla, Widodo’s former vice president who heads Indonesia’s Red Cross, told Metro TV on Saturday authorities should consider lockdowns to limit interactions between people.

The number of cases had grown around 30% every day, while only 10% of those infected had recovered, Mr Kalla said, warning this could mean around 1,000 cases within the next week.