VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Batam, Riau Islands - The Port Health Office has heightened health checks at the international ports in Batam City, Riau Islands in an effort to anticipate the breaking of the Coronavirus. "In accordance with standards and regulations, we have been on alert for this case starting from early January 2020," said the Head of Batam's Quarantine Control and Epidemiology Surveillance, Romer Simanungkalit in Batam, Riau Islands, Wednesday.

It is necessary to heighten health security measures at all international ports in the city, as these are the entry points for hundreds of thousands of foreign citizens every month, he said.

One of the initial checks is done using thermal scanners that have been installed in all ports, Simanungkalit said.

Every inbound passenger must pass the thermal scanner and have their body temperature checked. If it is high, officers will carry out further checks.

There are two major symptoms that would make a person suspect of having contracted the Coronavirus, namely a fever and the flu, as well as a history of having been infected.

The Batam Port Health Office has 11 thermal scanner devices that have been activated at international ports, both air and sea, including Sekupang, Harbor Bay and Telaga Punggur Harbor.

Special measures have also been taken for passengers from China arriving at the ports.

"When there are passengers from China, all officers would don their masks," he said.

The office also alerted ambulances at ports for suspected passengers with the Coronavirus entering and requiring further action.

"We alert the ambulance, and coordinate with the Health Office if there are passengers who need to be referred," he added. (INE/ANTARA)