By: Ismail) *
The government launched a number of strategies to address the spread of the Corona virus. These strategies included activating thermos scanners, preventing a flight ban, setting up referral hospitals, and evacuating Indonesian citizens. The government’s aggressive attitude in handling Corona Virus shows the presence of the country for its citizens.
The news about ABK’s curhatan on the spread of Corona Virus some time ago increasingly sticking out. The video with a duration of around one minute caught the public’s attention. They (ABK) even immediately asked President Jokowi to pick them up. The crew is suspected to be concerned about health and safety of the potential for contracting the Corona virus.
Last Thursday, the government reportedly was discussing an evacuation option by sea using the Navy’s medical ship, KRI Dr Soeharso, who was currently leaning on the dock of the 2nd Fleet Command (Koarmada II) Surabaya, East Java province.
With a span of 34 days for the evacuation process, options by sea were questioned by the crew of the Indonesian Diamond Princess. One of the ship’s crews said that if they were the only crew from Indonesia that had not received certainty of evacuation. This was confirmed by the recognition by the captain of the ship himself.
Their despair finally got an answer. Previously, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi had released 23 people who were lined up to be a pick-up team to evacuate around 68 Indonesian citizens of the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship related to the spread of the corona virus. They were released at Soekarno Hatta Airport on Friday and flew to Japan at 16:00 WIB, using Garuda Indonesia aircraft.
Retno was also accompanied by TNI Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto and National Police Chief Gen. Idham Azis, as well as a number of high ranking ministries and other relevant institutions. Retno explained that 68 of the total 78 Indonesian citizens of the Diamond Princess crew to be picked up had been declared negative by the corona virus.
Meanwhile, eight others tested positive so that they will receive a number of treatments in hospitals in Japan so that they will not be sent home. However, two other people chose to stay in Japan because they wanted to continue their work.
Furthermore, Retno also explained that the pickup team would arrive at Haneda Airport, Tokyo on Saturday (29/2) at dawn and would fly back to Indonesia in the afternoon. He estimated the team with other Indonesian citizens will arrive in Indonesia on Sunday (1/3).
Reportedly, upon arrival in the country the citizens will return to undergo a period of observation, precisely on the Small Sebaru Island. The island in the Thousand Islands was chosen as a location to observe the corona virus prevention. In addition to the Diamond Princess Ship crew, at least 188 Indonesian citizen ABK Ship World Dream is also undergoing observation there starting last Friday.
Meanwhile, House Commission IX Member Rahmad Handoyo appreciated the government’s rapid steps related to the evacuation process. He said if this step needed to be supported because, proving that the government was present to protect all Indonesian citizens from Covid-19 exposure.
Nevertheless, Rahmad reminded the government to prioritize security when picking up or after being in the country. He considered, the precautionary principle needs to be put forward because they had interacted with the Corona virus while still in the ship Diamond Princess. So the potential for transmission is still quite high. This is certainly different from the evacuation process of Indonesian citizens from Wuhan which had previously been observed in Natuna
Rahmat, who is also a PDIP politician, said that the government has health protocols and quarantine according to WHO standards to prevent transmission. Therefore, he believes that the government is able to implement the quarantine protocol effectively.
He mentioned whether the crew would be quarantined or not, he gave it entirely to the Ministry of Health. The government certainly has a standard in order to prevent transmission, he added.
Rahmad also appealed to the government and Indonesian citizens to continue to increase vigilance over the possibility of spreading the virus (COVID-19). He was grateful that the virus had not yet been discovered in Indonesia, but had to remain vigilant because the potential for the emergence of the virus in Indonesia was still there.
Government efforts to protect its citizens are not only seen in this case. Even when the virus was spreading and was busy rolling, the government had been active in carrying out a number of evacuation processes to attention. Call it the repatriation of Indonesian citizens from Wuhan, then shipping masks to Indonesian citizens abroad, flight restrictions, temporary export and import restrictions, and the evacuation process at Diamond Princess. This proves that the government is not only responsive, but also provides an active response related to the handling of this Corona virus. If it wasn’t for the attention, it would have been left alone.
)* The author is a social political observer