The travelers had been transported to the nearby Education Quality Control Agency (LPMP) building, which has been designated as a quarantine facility during the COVID-19 pandemic, at around 4 a.m., just after setting foot in the region.

They had purportedly waited for further action from the administration inside the building but nothing happened until noon. They were not given food and did not undergo health tests for COVID-19, which they claim had been promised beforehand. 

"If authorities fail to fulfill what they've promised us, how can we stay [in this quarantine facility]? We're not sick, but we could die from hunger here," a traveler from Jakarta, Helmy Latupono, said while leading a protest at the building on Wednesday afternoon.

"I'll definitely lead others to leave this building," he added, asserting that they were healthy and therefore had no chance of transmitting the virus to locals.

Read also: Maluku limits access to airports, harbors to curb COVID-19 spread

The Maluku administration had prepared the building to quarantine anyone traveling to the region during the COVID-19 outbreak to contain the disease's spread. The quarantine period was supposed to last 14 days.

LPMP Maluku head Achli Jasim explained separately that his office had prepared 142 isolation wards in the building, as requested by the Maluku administration. The administration, however, had not specifically asked his side to provide food or medical examinations for the travelers.

"Our task is to assist the COVID-19 task force in Maluku with the isolation facility," Jasim said, suggesting that it was the task force's duty to provide the quarantined people with food and medical tests.

He further said that some of the quarantined travelers had left the building after the protest but some others decided to stay. Eighty-six of them arrived in the province aboard state ship operator Pelni's KM Tidar passenger vessel. (vny)