VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Four of seven patients testing positive for coronavirus have shown signs of improving, after being treated at Persahabatan Central General Hospital in East Jakarta.

"One of the two patients (identified as case 20) has shown signs of improving, while the other one (identified as case 24) still complains about difficulty breathing," President Director of Persahabatan Central General Hospital Rita Rogayah said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The other two patients, who also have shown signs of improving, are an Indonesian crew member from the Diamond Princess cruise liner (identified as case 06) and a 50-year old man who contracted Covid-19 infection abroad, she said.

Rogayah said the hospital is awaiting the result of a laboratory test conducted on swab samples from two patients, identified as cases 06 and 14, from the Research and Development Board (Balitbangkes) of the Health Ministry.

"They have shown signs of improving. If the results of laboratory tests from Balitbangkes indicate that they have tested negative for the virus, then we will deem them as recovered and they can be discharged," she said.

As of Wednesday, the hospital was continuing to treat seven patients diagnosed as having contracted coronavirus and nine patients still being monitored for symptoms of the virus.

The number of patients testing positive for coronavirus at the hospital increased to seven on Wednesday, from five the day before.

The government announced the first death of a Covid-19 patient in Indonesia on Wednesday.

The patient, identified as case 25, died on early Wednesday at around 2 a. m., government spokesperson for COVID-19 issues, Achmad Yurianto, said at the Presidential Palace.

He noted that the 53-year-old patient was suffering from pre-existing illnesses.

"This patient was admitted to the hospital in a serious condition with pre-existing diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, pulmonary issues, and chronic obstruction. This patient was a foreign national. The embassy was updated since the start, and now the process is underway to send her back to her country, as she was accompanied by her husband during treatment," he added. (ANTARA)