VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Illustration of coal vessel on Mahakam River, Samarinda, East Kalimantan. (ANTARA)

Nunukan, N Kalimantan - The Nunukan Seaport authorities have tightened watch on a Panama-flagged vessel currently docking off the port's pier to load coal to be transported to mainland China amid the ongoing concerns over the spread of novel corona virus disease (COVID-19).

The foreign cargo vessel has been under surveillance since its arrival on March 14, 2020, Head of the Nunukan Seaport Authority Syarif Bustamin said in a press statement that made available to ANTARA in Nunukan District, North Kalimantan Province, on Monday.

The seaport's health workers had checked the body temperature of the ship's 20 crew members showing that it remains normal, he said, adding that this Panama-flagged vessel s docking off a site called "loading point 2".

In February, the Indonesian authorities in West Papua Province had also taken precautionary measures due to the planned arrival of a Chinese cargo vessel in Manokwari.

Referring to the local customs and excise office's information, the Chinese vessel was to load cements at the port of PT SDIC-Papua Cement Indonesia's cargo terminal, according to Head of the provincial administration's Legal and Human Rights Office Anthonius Ayorbaba.

To this end, the Manokwari customs and excise officials coordinated with related authorities to deal with the ongoing concerns caused by COVID-19 outbreak, he said, adding that the cargo ship only carried crew members.

"A tightened surveillance is needed. The immigration, seaport's health office, customs and excise office, local government, and several other related agencies should develop a synergy," Ayorbaba said.

In preventing the spread of the deadly coronavirus, the Indonesian Government has restricted travel to and from mainland China, and conducted a 14-day quarantine for Indonesians returning to Indonesia from China, he said.

The COVID-19 outbreak, which initially struck the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019, has forced several airlines, including national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, to suspend direct flights to and from mainland China.

As of Monday, the COVID-19 had infected at least 134 people in several cities across Indonesia, including Jakarta, Bandung, Tangerang, Solo, Yogyakarta, Bali, Manado, and Pontianak.

Indonesia has become one of the countries whose citizens have contracted COVID-19. The Indonesian authorities have also declared the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak as a national disaster.

The death toll from the virus has reached five, while eight COVID-19 patients have received discharge from hospitals while seven others are expected to recover soon. (ANTARA)