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Eight Indonesian citizens test positive for COVID-19 in India
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A cricket fan wearing a facemask amid concerns of the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus walks past a banner displaying tips on how to avoid the virus outside the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on March 12 ahead of the start of the first one day international (ODI) cricket match of a three-match series between India and South Africa. (AFP/Sajjad HUSSAIN)
T
he Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi confirmed on Thursday that eight Indonesian citizens had tested positive for COVID-19 and were now under intensive care at a hospital in India’s city of Hyderabad.
Local news outlet The New Indian Express reported on Tuesday morning that a total of 10 Indonesians and three Indians had been admitted to Hyderabad’s Gandhi Hospital on Monday after they were suspected to have contracted the coronavirus.
The police said the 10 Indonesians were part of an Islamic outreach organization and had arrived in Karimnagar – a city in Telangana state in southeast India – on Saturday from Delhi.
Indonesian Ambassador to India Sidharto Suryodipuro said that eight of the 10 Indonesians were now receiving treatment and were in a stable condition.
“The two others [Indonesians] are still being examined. The result will be announced today [Thursday],” he told The Jakarta Post via instant messaging.
“We have to appreciate the efforts of the Indian and Telangana health authorities. The embassy is in constant communication with the Indian Foreign Ministry,” he added.
Separately on Tuesday, Sidharto said the embassy was closely monitoring the case, without providing further details about the chronology of the matter.
The news outlet reported that the Indonesians as well as three Indians were staying in a mosque after arriving in Karimnagar.
As the Indian government has restricted international arrivals into the country due to the coronavirus pandemic, authorities who had received information regarding the arrival of the Indonesians began to look for them and later took them to a nearby hospital for COVID-19 tests before taking them to Hyderabad.
Sidharto pointed out that the embassy would ensure that the Indonesian citizens’ rights were protected in accordance with Indian law.
The Indonesian embassy will provide interpreting services for them.
“I have also spoken to the Telangana director of public health. They said our fellow Indonesians were being taken care of in the hospital,” Sidharto said Tuesday.
“The embassy is ready to cooperate with Indian health authorities to ensure the well-being of people around us," he added.
