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Jakarta Post

Riau Islands governor tests positive for COVID-19 after being sworn in by Jokowi

Governor Isdianto tested positive four days after President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo swore him in.

Fadli (The Jakarta Post)
Batam, Riau Islands
Sun, August 2, 2020

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Riau Islands governor tests positive for COVID-19 after being sworn in by Jokowi President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo swears Isdianto in as governor of the Riau Islands at the State Palace in Jakarta on July 27. Isdianto succeeded Nurdin Basirun, who was removed from the office after being found guilty of corruption. (Presidential Secretariat/Kris and Lukas)

R

iau Islands governor Isdianto has tested positive for COVID-19 only four days after being sworn into the office by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Monday.

Riau Islands COVID-19 task force spokesperson Tjetjep Yudiana said the governor had taken a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test after learning that his personal bodyguard, an army officer identified as DPS, had contracted the virus.

The governor took the test in the Health Ministry’s Batam Environmental Health and Disease Control Center (BBTKLPP) on Friday.

“After the bodyguard was declared positive for COVID-19, the governor entered self-quarantine and immediately took the test. His condition is currently stable,” Tjetjep told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

He added that the governor was undergoing self-quarantine in the provincial administration office complex in Tanjung Pinang, accompanied by several medical experts.

Read also: Surakarta deputy mayor tests positive for COVID-19, tested shortly after meeting Jokowi

Isdianto tested negative for the virus in a PCR swab two days prior to his inauguration in Jakarta.

DPS accompanied Isdianto on his trip to Jakarta. However, the army officer was not permitted to go to the State Palace for the ceremony because of strict health protocols.

After returning from Jakarta on Tuesday, DPS developed a high fever and was admitted to the Raja Ahmad Tabib Regional Hospital in the provincial capital of Tanjung Pinang. There, he was diagnosed with COVID-19.

The governorship is set to last until 2021. Isdianto, who previously served as deputy governor, assumed the top position after his predecessor, Nurdin Basirun, was convicted of accepting a bribe.

According to the government’s official count, the province had recorded 491 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Saturday, with 18 deaths and 321 recoveries. Nationwide, health authorities have recorded 109,936 cases and 5,193 deaths. (mfp)

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