Singapore has ‘promptly shared information’ with Indonesia on COVID-19 cases involving Indonesians: MOH

SINGAPORE: Singapore “has promptly shared information” with Indonesia on all the confirmed COVID-19 cases involving Indonesians, to facilitate contact tracing, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday (Mar 13).

In a statement to media, MOH noted that Singapore and Indonesia are parties to the World Health Organization International Health Regulations (IHR). 

“Singapore has promptly shared information with Indonesia through the official IHR channel on all the confirmed COVID-19 cases involving Indonesians, to facilitate contact tracing in Indonesia,” said MOH. 

READ: 13 new cases of COVID-19 in Singapore, 1 more discharged from hospital

The Indonesian IHR National Focal Point, an official from the Indonesian Health Ministry, has acknowledged receipt of all the correspondences on these cases sent by Singapore’s IHR National Focal Point, added the ministry. 

This comes after media reports that Indonesian government has “complained” that Singapore withheld the personal information of the Indonesians being treated here.

Six Indonesian nationals who have been confirmed as COVID-19 cases in Singapore are being treated in hospitals here. They have been identified as Cases 133, 147, 152, 170, 181, 182. All are thought to be imported cases, except Case 133, who is linked to the SAFRA Jurong cluster.

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According to a Jakarta Post report, the secretary of Indonesia’s Health Ministry’s Disease Control and Prevention Directorate General, Achmad Yurianto, had told reporters on Thursday night: “We have asked for the identities of the Indonesian nationals from Singapore. They did not give us the names. How are we going to conduct the tracing in Indonesia? Singapore is adamant on not disclosing their identities.” 

As of Thursday, nearly 25 per cent of all COVID-19 cases in Singapore were imported, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Friday.

“Over the past 10 days alone, there have been 23 imported cases, or nearly a third of all new cases. These included 13 cases with travel history to European countries and six cases from Indonesia,” MOH had said in a separate media release.

“We cannot be complacent. Despite our best efforts at contact tracing and ring-fencing confirmed cases, we still see new cases every day, and increasingly, more imported cases,” Mr Gan said.

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