Government officials working for a region-owned enterprise (BUMD) in Cianjur regency, West Java have been instructed to cut their European holiday short, because this is obviously not the best time for leisure.
According to reports, five officials working for the regency’s tap water supplier PDAM Tirta Mukti, among whom is the CEO, departed Indonesia on March 10, with the initial plan of going to Mecca for the Umrah pilgrimage. However, as Saudi had suspended Umrah visas by then, the group, which also includes their wives, went for a holiday in Europe instead.
The group’s detailed European itinerary has not been disclosed, but they were reportedly scheduled to fly back to Indonesia on March 23.
“I have instructed them to come home. They said they will be back in Cianjur today,” acting Cianjur Regent Herman Suherman told Detik yesterday.
There have been no reports yet today if the group has indeed arrived in Indonesia.
Once in Indonesia, however, Herman said that the group will have to submit to a health check and remain under surveillance by health authorities even if they don’t show COVID-19 symptoms.
Europe has been badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Italy, Spain, Germany, and France currently have some of the highest caseloads in the world, with Italy reporting 2,503 deaths as of this morning.
Indonesia yesterday updated its travel policy to refuse entry for travelers coming from the aforementioned countries.
According to Health Ministry data, as of this morning, Indonesia has 172 confirmed domestic COVID-19 cases, with nine recoveries and seven deaths. Indonesia has performed tests for the coronavirus on at least 1,255 suspected patients, 1,083 of whom tested negative.
