Priagung Adhi Bawono, the head of the Medan Port Health Authority (KKP), said that each Indonesian migrant worker (TKI) had been accounted for and confirmed free of infection after testing negative for the virus upon their arrival at Kualanamu International Airport in Deli Serdang regency, North Sumatra.

“The preliminary results show that none of the [repatriated] domestic workers have any symptoms [of COVID-19]. They all tested negative,” Priagung told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

He added that the workers had been examined in Malaysia prior to their repatriation, but noted that some of the workers had flu-like symptoms, including dry cough and dizziness.

As of Saturday, North Sumatra had recorded at least 59 confirmed cases and eight deaths.

To ensure public health and safety, said Priagung, all recently repatriated migrant workers were isolated for 14 days at a special facility at Cadika Lubuk Pakam park in Deli Serdang, or at Suwondo Air Base in Medan.

Whiko Irwan, the head of the North Sumatra COVID-19 task force, said that all repatriates would undergo rapid testing on the first and 10th days of their isolation periods, as well as physical exercise and psychological evaluation.

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“There are 318 [TKI] quarantined at Soewondo Air Base, whereas 134 others have been isolated at Cadika Lubuk Pakam Park,” Whiko said.

Soewondo Air Base Commander Col. Meka Yudanto said that the majority of repatriated workers quarantined at the air base were North Sumatra natives, while the others came from regional provinces including Java.

North Sumatra Governor Edy Rahmayadi had submitted a formal request to the Home Ministry for the repatriation of North Sumatran workers from Malaysia amid the health emergency in the neighboring country, said Meka.

The Malaysian government extended until April 28 its “movement control order”, which is technically a lockdown, in an effort to curb the rapid spread of the virus there, Antara News reported.

By Saturday, Malaysia had recorded 4,530 confirmed cases and 70 deaths from the disease.

Many of the repatriated TKI had police records in Malaysia for overstaying their visas, said Kualanamu Immigration head Tedi Hartadi Wibowo.

Zakiah, a TKI from Jambi, said she entered Malaysia illegally in 2018 on a tourist visa. She found work as a waitress at a local restaurant, but was soon arrested by Malaysian immigration officers and sentenced to seven months in prison.

“I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t enter Malaysia through unofficial channels ever again,” Zakiah told the Post on Thursday, when shse arrived at Kualanamu airport.

She said she didn’t mind being quarantined before returning to her hometown so that her family would be safe. (rfa)