Jakarta - Indonesian Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto confirmed he yet awaits comprehensive information on a Japanese, who tested positive for Covid-19 -- a new type of coronavirus -- after returning from Indonesia.

"I am still awaiting details from the Japanese authority, as it is related to epidemiological data. It is about where he was going. Is it true that he has been here (in Indonesia), then in that case which Indonesian area he had visited, how long he had been examined in Japan, and what symptoms he had experienced. All information must be provided in detail," Minister Putranto emphasized in Jakarta on Monday.

Earlier, Japan's NHK News Agency had reported that a 60-year-old Japanese resident had tested positive for Covid-19 after traveling from Indonesia.

"If the news is only about he has ever been somewhere, it is the same cases as in Malaysia and South Korea. Hence, we have to be careful in responding to it since the details are important. I, as the minister of health, will only rely on detailed data," he stated.

According to the NHK report, the Tokyo metropolitan government announced on Saturday (Feb 22) that a 60-year-old male resident of Tokyo was infected with Covid-19.

The man, a staff member of a nursing homecare facility, had visited a healthcare institution on February 12 after becoming symptomatic with cold but returned home the same day, as he was not diagnosed with pneumonia.

He then reportedly traveled to Indonesia for a family vacation on February 15, 2020.

However, the NHK report did not mention the exact location or area in Indonesia that the Japanese man had visited.

After returning from Indonesia, the man was admitted to a hospital in Tokyo over severe dyspnea on February 19, 2020, and had tested positive for coronavirus and confirmed to be in "serious condition". (ANTARA)

Jakarta - The United States’ (US’) decision to remove Indonesia from the list of developing countries will make its trade balance with the US record a deficit, Secretary of Coordinating Minister (Sesmenko) for Economic Affairs Susiwijono stated.

"Oh yes, it is clear (at risk of a deficit)," Susiwijono stated in Jakarta on Monday.

Susiwijono explained that it was linked to the import duty facility or the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) scheme provided by the US to developing countries, including Indonesia, which would be lost.

"The US’ decision to remove Indonesia is linked to trade facilities since the consequences will be on the GSP and so on," Susiwijono pointed out.

Once Indonesia does not receive the GSP facility, it will have to pay import duties at the normal rate or Most Favored Nation (MFN).

"Our GSP is very large. Friends of the Ministry of Trade will explain," Susiwijono remarked.

He stated that currently, Indonesia's trade with the US was still in surplus as was apparent from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data indicating that Indonesia's trade surplus with the US in January 2020 had reached US$1.01 billion.

"Our trade with them (the US) is also still in surplus," he stated.

In the meantime, on Sunday (Feb 23), economic observer from the University of Indonesia Fithra Faisal Hastiadi explained that the other impact of the US decision was that Indonesia would be subject to higher tariffs since it would no longer receive facilities as a developing country.

Furthermore, the Official Development Assistance (ODA) facility, which is an alternative financing from external parties to conduct social and economic development, had been revoked.

"We are speaking of debt relations, so we can no longer do classification of ODA. This is since with that, we will be able to get cheap interest. If under US$4,000, we can get 0.25 percent," Fithra explained. (ANTARA)

Five foreign nationals stranded on Bengkalis Island are put under observation in an isolated room at the Bengkalis Regional General Hospital on Sunday(ANTARA)

Bengkalis, Riau - Five foreign nationals stranded along with their high-speed luxury yacht on Tanjung Mayat Beach in Bengkalis District, Riau Province, are being kept under observation in an isolated room at the Bengkalis Regional General Hospital.

The hospital has prepared an isolated room for the five foreign citizens from Thailand and Britain to be kept under observation, Vice Director of the Bengkalis Regional General Hospital Rita Puspa stated on Sunday.

"At around 9:55 p.m. local time, the five foreign nationals were taken to the hospital for medical checkups after we had coordinated with the quick reaction team in charge of handling the coronavirus extraordinary occurrence in Bengkalis District. In general, none of them had contracted the coronavirus infection, but they remain under observation and receive necessary treatment in accordance with the existing operational standards," she remarked.

She noted that the medical workers treating the five foreign nationals at the hospital follow requisite service standards, including wearing goggles, masks, and head covers.

"One of the foreign nationals, who earlier reported sick, had suffered from a stroke nearly a year ago," she revealed.

Chief of the Bengkalis Immigration Intelligence and Action Joni Tunggul noted that all five foreign nationals held complete immigration documents. They intended to sail from Singapore to Thailand via Malaysia.

"After encountering engine trouble, their yacht was swept away by sea currents and got stranded on Bengkalis Island," he added. (ANTARA)

The Italian government suspended a number of sports and carnival matches because of the spread of the corona virus (covid 19) in the country. Venice Carnival or Venetian Carnival in southern Italy is one of the canceled activities. This annual carnival takes place from 8 to 25 February 2020. As quoted by Al Jazeera on Monday, the death toll from being infected by the corona virus in Italy increased to three people. One of the visitors and lovers of the carnival Marianna Purisiol felt the cancellation of the carnival did not have a significant impact, the panic was even more influential.

"The panic is more contagious than the virus. I think at this point, it is unnecessary, don't you think?

Meanwhile lovers of other unnamed carnivals said there was no point in stopping the carnival, because other public facilities were still open," said Marianna Purisiol.

In addition to three fatalities due to infection with the corona virus (Covid 19), the number of corona virus cases in Italy currently reaches more than 130 cases, most of which are located in northern Lombardy. Earlier, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte had announced quarantines for several cities in Italy, which had an impact on fifty thousand (50,000) people. Including the cancellation of the Venetian Carnival in Italy these past few days. (Aljazeera / WATI / AHM)