Three Indonesian crew members aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus, as confirmed by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi today.
The three men are part of 78 Indonesian crew members on the Diamond Princess, which is anchored off the Port of Yokohama in Japan after hundreds of people on board tested positive for the deadly virus.
“Based on our latest communication including a conversation with the Japanese Ambassador [to Indonesia], we received information that three out of the 78 Indonesian crew members tested positive for coronavirus. The three Indonesian nationals are part of a total 446 people [aboard the cruise ship] who have been confirmed positive,” Retno told reporters in a press conference today, as quoted by CNN Indonesia.
According to Retno, as of this afternoon, two of the men had been brought to a hospital in Chiba City, while one was still being transported to another medical facility. All three of them are said to be in stable condition.
Staff from the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo have departed for Chiba to ensure that the crew members receive proper treatment for the infection. Their families in Indonesia have been notified.
Retno said she has made a request to the Health Ministry to help facilitate the Indonesians’ return from Japan.
The Indonesian nationals were part of the 1,045 crew members and 2,666 guests onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship. While some have been evacuated, those who are still onboard are expected to remain in quarantine until Feb. 19 pending a possible extension from Japan.
As of today, while there are no confirmed COVID-19 cases on Indonesian soil, four Indonesian nationals have been confirmed to be infected by the virus that causes the disease. Earlier this month, an Indonesian domestic worker in Singapore was confirmed to be infected through close contact with her employer, who works at a health products shop that primarily serves Chinese tourists.
The novel coronavirus has killed more than 1,800 people and infected over 73,300 as of this afternoon, while more than 12,800 others have recovered from the virus. The disease has so far affected at least 28 other countries around the world, including Singapore and Malaysia.
