Protecting Wakatobi from COVID-19

Thu, April 9, 2020 / 12:37 pm

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A community health center (Puskesmas) in Buranga subdistrict in Kaledupa Island installs a banner showing measures to curb the coronavirus spread. JP/ Edy Susanto
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A disinfectant worker checks his sprayer. JP/ Edy Susanto
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A disinfectant worker is tasked with spraying boats, as well as arriving passengers and baggage. JP/ Edy Susanto
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Passengers must have their temperature checked and their bodies and luggage sprayed with disinfectant before continuing their journey on the island. JP/ Edy Susanto
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A passenger uses hand sanitizer at Buranga Port, the biggest port on Kaledupa Island. JP/ Edy Susanto
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The disinfectant workers pay special attention to passengers from Kendari city in Southeast Sulawesi, as the city has recorded three COVID-19 cases. JP/ Edy Susanto
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A woman closes her eyes as she is sprayed with disinfectant. JP/ Edy Susanto
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After all the passengers are cleared, a disinfectant worker sprays the boat’s cabin. JP/ Edy Susanto
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Aside from cabins and decks, a boat’s bridge also needs to be disinfected. JP/ Edy Susanto
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Health workers ask an arriving passenger to identify herself at Ambeua Port on Kaledupa Island. JP/ Edy Susanto
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Local health staff record the identity of a woman who had just arrived on the island. JP/ Edy Susanto

Edy Susanto

Kaledupa Island is part of the Wakatobi Islands, a famed marine national park in southeastern Sulawesi.

Behind its natural beauty, the island suffers from a lack of health facilities. This condition puts its residents’ health at risk, particularly amid the coronavirus outbreak in Indonesia.

While big cities in Java are receiving the government’s continuous support to contain the virus, Kaledupa islanders are doing their best to fight off the virus with limited resources.

Every time a boat moors on the island, disinfectant workers meticulously spray the boat’s deck and cabin. They also checked the temperatures of arriving passengers and even spray them and their baggage with disinfectant. However, this may not be the right solution as WHO Indonesia has warned against spraying people with disinfectant, noting its health risks.

As of Tuesday, Southeast Sulawesi has recorded six confirmed COVID-19 patients, one of whom had recovered. [yps]