Jakarta - The Directorate General of Immigration has refused entry of 118 foreigners to Indonesia, as part of a measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus, COVID-19.

"The number is as accumulated from February 5 to 23, 2020, and obtained from all immigration gates across the country," Arvin Gumilang, spokesman of the directorate general, said in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday.

They were not only from China, but also some other countries including Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, as well as some European and African countries, since they had travelled to China within 14 days before their arrival in Indonesia.

Immigration check point at Bali International Airport of Ngurah Rai recorded the highest number of refusal, notably 89 foreigners.

The legal basis used for this refusal is the Law and Human Rights Ministry's Regulation Number 3 of 2020 on the Suspension of Visa-free entry, Visa on arrival, as well as stay permit for Chinese nationals.

Beside, the directorate had also issued some 1,247 emergency stay permits to Chinese residents already staying here before the regulation being imposed.

The regulation was signed by Minister Yasonna Laoly on Feb. 5, 2020, and will be valid through Feb. 29, 2020, and it will later be evaluated. (ANTARA)

Jakarta - Dream Cruises announced that departures of its several cruise ships were suspended over the current 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and sent several of its crew back home, including 188 Indonesians employed at World Dream.

Speaking in connection with the repatriation of these 188 Indonesians, President of Dream Cruises Michael Goh noted in his press statement ANTARA quoted in Jakarta on Monday that they had been transferred to an Indonesian naval ship.

The transfer was conducted by the authority of this Genting Hong Kong-owned cruise line to the naval ship in the international waters near the Indonesian islands of Bintan in Riau Islands Province, he remarked in his statement on Sunday.

The Indonesian health authorities will conduct a thorough medical check-up of the crew members of the World Dream cruise ship as part of their precautionary measures to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak.

Dream Cruises reported earlier that Hong Kong's Department of Health had confirmed that all guests and crew onboard World Dream had cleared extensive health screenings and temperature checks.

All samples taken from the 1,814 crew members had tested negative for COVID-19, the Dream Cruises authorities confirmed in the recent World Dream Situation Report.

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

The ongoing concerns surrounding this deadly virus outbreak has also compelled Dream Cruises to suspend the departures of its several cruise ships, including those of World Dream and Explorer Dream.

According to this cruise line's website, World Dream had cancelled its departure from Keelung from February 11, 2020, to March 20, 2020, as well as on March 23, 2020, and on March 27, 2020, and March 28, 2020.

The Explorer Dream ship's departure had also been cancelled from March 1, 2020, to April 4, 2020, while the operations of Genting Dream had also been suspended from Singapore starting from February 23, 2020.

The decision was taken to help curtail the spread of COVID-19 and due to tightening travel restrictions by various countries. Genting Dream will resume operations in Singapore from March 27, 2020, according to this award-winning cruise line.

Goh affirmed that the health and safety of his cruise ships' guests and crew members remain his primary concern.

To this end, since the onset of the virus outbreak, Dream Cruises has worked with various local and regional authorities in implementing stringent precautionary measures across its fleet to safeguard the wellbeing of its guests and crew.

"We are thankful there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 while on board or transmitted via any of Dream Cruises' ships," he noted.

North Bali and Surabaya are on the list of this cruise line's popular destinations apart from Port Klang and Penang, Malaysia, as well as Phuket, Thailand. (ANTARA)

Jakarta (VOI News) - Indonesian and Singaporean military keep maintaining a tradition of joint military exercises in a bid to strengthen the cooperation of both countries. This was stated by Singaporean Ambassador to Indonesia, Anil Kumar Nayar after attending Diplomatic Forum held by Voice of Indonesia in Jakarta on Wednesday (19/02). “Safkar Indopura“   is a joint military exercise between Indonesian Army and Singaporean Army, which becomes one of the solid relations of the two countries and the military exercise is carried out alternately.

“(Safkar Indopur ) That’s one about oldest exercises that has been going on between Singapore and Indonesia. I think that will continue. Air Forces of the 2 countries, Navies as well as the Armies, they will meet in various level defense establishments of the both sides. There is a lot of interaction going on; no stopping of that,” said Ambassador Anil Kumar Nayar.

Moreover, Ambassador Anil Kumar Nayar also explained that recently, the defence cooperation of the two countries has taken place well. Even, he said that nowadays, Singapore and Indonesia are finding out more opportunities of defence cooperation which is expected to be developed continuously. (VOI-AF)

Head of the Indonesian Ministry of Health's Overseas Cooperation Bureau, Acep Somantri (VOI/NUKE)

Jakarta (VOI News) - In dealing with the corona virus or Covid-19, members of the World Health Organization (WHO) need to cooperate to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 originating from Wuhan, China. Head of the Indonesian Ministry of Health's Overseas Cooperation Bureau, Acep Somantri, after speaking at the 'Diplomatic Forum' held by Voice of Indonesia at the Jusuf Ronodipuro Auditorium, RRI Jakarta, Wednesday (19/2) said that WHO member countries need to share information about the situation and positive cases in each country. According to Acep, the cooperation includes capacity building, especially for countries that do not yet have an adequate health system to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak. He also said that Indonesia is a country that has a good health system and has been tested. He emphasized that the Ministry of Health officially answered the international doubts that Indonesia has adequate resources in coping with virus outbreaks, including the corona virus.

“There are a number of questions from the world, we do not know who is asking, who seems to doubt the capacity of our laboratory. But, the Ministry of Health has responded with the release and then we also invited reporters, WHO, and other countries that wanted to know how we work. They come to our laboratory at Balitbangkes (Research and Development Center for Health) on Jalan Percetakan Negara,” said Acep Somantri.

Furthermore, Acep Somantri said that the Indonesian Ministry of Health is also ready to provide assistance in the field of medical equipment and health experts to countries in need. In addition, Indonesia is currently also developing a new vaccine through Bio Farma, as a vaccine manufacturer in Indonesia. Previously, President Joko Widodo offered assistance to the Chinese government in dealing with the corona virus. (VOI/GUS)