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Church declared new COVID-19 cluster in Batam
Riau Islands' Batam COVID-10 task force declared HOG Eden Park church a new cluster in Batam on Sunday after 26 of its congregation members tested positive for the virus.
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Medical workers conduct rapid testing on sellers at Botania 2 Market in Batam, Riau Islands on May 15, 2020. (Antara/M N Kanwa)
R
iau Islands' Batam COVID-10 task force declared HOG Eden Park church a new cluster in Batam on Sunday after 26 of its congregation members tested positive for the virus.
According to the task force, 1-year-old twins were the latest among the 26 to test positive. The parents of the twins also tested positive for COVID-19.
The task force head, HM Rudi, said there had been eight new cases in Batam as of Saturday. Of the eight cases, seven were related to the HOG Eden Park Church cluster.
“The twins, Case 123 and Case 124, were among the eight new cases, and they allegedly contracted the virus from their parents,” Rudi said on Sunday as reported by kompas.com. The parents of the twins are Case 125, the 42-year-old father, and Case 126, the 43-year-old mother.
Both babies are currently being treated at Elizabeth Hospital in Batam and they are reportedly in a stable condition.
HOG Eden Park church was declared a new cluster after authorities conducted tracing of Case 49, who is a member of the church. Case 49 is in recovery. Meanwhile, the priest of the church is Case 82.
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Among the churchgoers that tested positive for the virus are: a 30-year-old man identified as Case 111, a 37-year-old man identified as Case 112 and a 47-year-old man identified as Case 113. They all had close contact with Case 49 and Case 82.
Case 114 and Case 115 are women aged 43 and 20, respectively, and are the daughters of case 113.
Case 119 and Case 120 are husband and wife. Case 119 is the husband who works at the church.
Batam’s Health Agency head Didi Kusmarjadi said the churchgoers gathered on April 26 to prepare for church online services.
“Most probably, when they gathered in a meeting they did not follow health protocols, such as wearing face masks, physical distancing, maintaining hygiene and so forth,” Didi said as reported by tribunnews.com on Sunday.
Prior to receiving swab test results, members of the HOG Eden Church are isolated at Tanjung Uncang Housing Complex in Batam. However, after receiving the results, those who are declared positive for the virus are to be isolated at Embung Fatimah Hospital in Batam.
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With the addition of HOG Eden Park church, Batam now has a total of five COVID-19 clusters.
As of Saturday, Batam had recorded 128 cases of COVID-19 and 11 fatalities. Batam is the epicenter of the outbreak in the Riau Islands, which in total had recorded 195 cases and 15 fatalities as of Saturday. (trn)
