Bali’s COVID-19 task force said the province has conducted more than 18,000 rapid tests for at-risk groups on the island, which is dominated by recently returned migrant workers.
The at-risk groups, according to head of the task force Dewa Made Indra, also include medical workers treating COVID-19 patients across the island, airport officers conducting the rapid tests, as well as staff at the quarantine facilities.
During a press conference yesterday, Indra also said that as of April 19, there were 1,638 swab samples taken for PCR testing.
Thousands of Indonesian crew members and migrant workers have been arriving in Bali in recent weeks, including those who had worked on international cruise ships and now returning as some cruise lines halt their operations. They are all subject to rapid tests upon arrival, though those have been known to produce false negatives.
While those testing negative were previously expected to self-quarantine at their own homes while being monitored by officials from their desa adat, or traditional villages, officials are now putting them in quarantine facilities administered by their home cities or regencies in Bali instead.
On the other hand, those testing positive for the coronavirus are not all treated at designated hospitals. Those deemed in stable condition are quarantined in facilities administered by the Bali Provincial Government, while still being monitored by medical staff, Indra said.
Bali has so far confirmed 140 cases of COVID-19, including three deaths and 42 recoveries, according to the latest data from the central government.
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