The I Gusti Ngurai Rai International Airport authority, Bali Island, has applied the concept of social distancing for passengers and others in the airport area to contain the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

"This social distancing has been made effective at the airport's areas since Wednesday (March 18)," spokesman of state-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura (AP) I at I Gusti Ngurai Rai International Airport Arie Ahsanurrohim stated in Badung on Thursday.

In applying the rules of social distancing, the airport authority has affixed stickers at the security checkpoint and boarding gate areas to notify passengers and has rearranged chairs to ensure that a physical distance of one meter is maintained between them.

"We ensure a physical distance of one meter between the passengers, so that if one of them happens to fall sick, he or she is expected to not infect others seated next to him or her," Ahsanurrohim remarked.

The footmark stickers had also been placed on the floor of elevators and lifts to remind people inside the airport’s domestic and international terminals of the importance of maintaining physical distance between themselves, he stated.

COVID-19, which initially struck in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of December 2019, has killed more than 8,900 people and infected at least 218,900 people worldwide.

In Indonesia, the virus has infected at least 227 people and killed 19 while 11 others have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.

Taking into account the increasing death toll and the spread of this virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic.

The Indonesian government has put in place precautionary measures since the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak that first struck the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of December 2019.

In addition to installing thermal scanners at the country's airports and seaports as well as making preparations at hospitals across the archipelago, the Indonesian government has repatriated several hundred citizens.

On February 2, a total of 238 Indonesian nationals were airlifted from Wuhan, China, to be quarantined in Natuna District's Riau Islands Province. All these Indonesians were found to be healthy and were reunited with their families.

On March 2, 2020, President Jokowi announced that two Indonesians had tested positive for COVID-19. The number of infected confirmed by the government tended to rise steadily over the past days. 

Residents walk past the Indonesia-East Timor border post of Mota Ain in Belu, East Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA)

Kupang - East Timor has implemented a lockdown from Thursday as a precautionary measure to check the spread of coronavirus in the region and has closed its border with Indonesia. The lockdown will be in place till April 19.

This was confirmed by Marciana Dominika Jone, head of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) regional office, on Thursday. NTT shares land borders with East Timor.

There are three border checkpoints between NTT and East Timor at Mota Ain, Meta Mauk/Mota Masin, and Wini. Mota Ain is the largest of the entry-points.

"We have just received information from the immigration attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Dili, East Timor, that the country has enacted a lockdown from Thursday," Jone said in Kupang, the capital of NTT .

"The lockdown would certainly affect us. East Timor is making efforts to prevent any coronavirus transmission to their region, and we are aiming for the same thing — that COVID-19 does not come to our land, especially NTT," Jone noted.

During the lockdown, Indonesians who are currently in East Timor would not be able to return home to Atambua and Belu Municipality, in particular. Also, no one would be allowed to enter East Timor. The restriction will not only apply to people, but also to movement of goods.

NTT Governor Victor Laiskodat had earlier announced plans to shut down his province and close all entry gates. However, that did not pan out as the decision to impose a lockdown rests with the central government.  (ANTARA)

The Indonesian  government will simplify the national logistical system in order  to be more efficient.  It is done by forming a national logistical ecosystem  (National Logistical Ecosystem / NLE) system.  Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto, after attending the Limited Cabinet Meeting via Video Conference on Wednesday stated that the government will form an NLE  four months ahead. Minister  Airlangga  further said that  President Jokowi  asked that NLE  can be made not only based on the application and ecosystem of the system itself, which integrates among ministries and institutions, but it is also to simplify the process and eliminate repetitive processes and reduce logistics costs.  He also explained that  it also needs the integration of related ministries or institutions, so that there is a harmonization of the system to reduce obstacles in services.

"Roadmap of the NLE itself will be done for  the next 4 months and  the President has said that   there will be assignments for  the  Customs ( Beacukai ) to carry NLE  and  have presidential instruction ( inpres). Of course in  the Inpres there will be a director from the relevant ministries then there will be a daily executive  handled  by  Minister of Finance and Customs.  Besides  the President also gave direction for the implementation of this National Logistics, the major thing is in the field implementation and   the President  also gave direction to involve the Corruption Eradication Commission ( KPK ) for supervision, so that this system can run effectively and efficiently" minister said. 

Meanwhile,  Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati explained that in term of improving the logistics system, the government will build two platforms, namely at the system development level and at the implementation level.  The government will make a national logistical ecosystem (National Logistical Ecosystem / NLE) which will also integrate logistics movement in Indonesia at the level of system development. Ndy / AF

Indonesian ambassador to Cuba, Alfred T. Palembangan stated that until now  there are no Indonesian citizens who have been exposed to the Corona or Covid-19.   In an interview by telephone to Voice of Indonesia in Jakarta on Wednesday (18/3) Alfred said there are 4 people exposed to the  Covid-19 in Cuba that consists of 3 tourists from Italy and 1 Cuban citizen who just came from Italy.  He also stated that the 4 people are now being isolated at hospitals in Cuba.

"Until now, from the information that  the embassy has obtained  through whatsapp groups made and the information  announced by several Honorary Consuls in the countries that the embassy has such as in the Bahamas, in Haiti and in Jamaica stated  there are no Indonesian citizens who are exposed to the Corona Virus" Ambassador said. 

Moreover,  Ambassador  Alfred T. Palembangan further  explained  currently there are about 56  Indonesian citizens  who live in Cuba that  consists of a big family of the Indonesian Embassy, 7 Indonesian university  students and Indonesians who live and marry with Cubans. To provide information about the Corona virus, the Indonesian Embassy in Havana made a whatsapp group for Indonesians living in Cuba, the Bahamas, Haiti and Jamaica.  Through the whatsapp group, the Indonesian Embassy can easily monitor the conditions of Indonesians in those countries and appeal them to obey the local regulations. AHM/ AF