Bogor Mayor Bima Arya places self in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19

Bogor Mayor Bima Arya announcing he has COVID-19. Photo: Instagram
Bogor Mayor Bima Arya announcing he has COVID-19. Photo: Instagram

Bima Arya Sugiarto, the mayor of the city of Bogor, which is located on the outskirts of Jakarta, has tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the latest high-profile Indonesian politician to be infected with the coronavirus after Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi.

Bima tested positive after taking a week-long official trip to Turkey and Azerbaijan and returning to Indonesia on March 16. Upon his return, Bima was placed under surveillance for possible coronavirus infection by local health authorities, and eventually tested positive for the disease on March 19.

The mayor confirmed the news in a video he posted on his Instagram account this morning, in which he appears to be relatively well despite contracting the disease.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9708D4JyeH/

 

“Even though I’m not exhibiting any significant symptoms — just minor coughs — I have decided to follow protocol by self-isolating. I place complete trust in the Bogor Regional General Hospital to handle this,” Bima said.

One other Bogor city official who went on the trip with Bima also tested positive for COVID-19. Three others tested negative.

Bima’s decision to self-isolate falls in line with the central government’s policy that only those who show severe symptoms need to be treated at hospitals to prevent patient overload.

Indonesia is showing a trajectory for exponential growth of COVID-19 cases in the country after the government announced 82 new infections yesterday, taking the country’s official caseload to 309. 

Achmad Yurianto, Indonesia’s spokesman for COVID-19-related matters, finally released more comprehensive data breaking down the number of total cases by province, with Jakarta accounting for the majority of infections. 

Of the 82 new cases, Achmad said that 52 of the patients are from Jakarta. 

The death toll has also increased to 25 from 19 yesterday, and seventeen of the deaths were recorded in Jakarta.



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