President Jokowi condoles deaths of medical workers from COVID-19

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) expressed deep condolences to the families of doctors and paramedics, who died from COVID-19.

"I want to express my deep condolences on the demise of doctors, nurses, and other paramedics," Jokowi stated during his visit to the Athletes Village in Kemayoran, Jakarta, on Monday.

The Athletes Village has been readied to function as a temporary hospital to treat COVID-19 patients.

"They are dedicated (medical workers), who have fought hard to handle the coronavirus outbreak. On behalf of the government, country, and people, I laud their hard work and struggle to handle COVID-19," the president noted.

The Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) had earlier confirmed that its six members had died from COVID-19. It said those doctors had contracted the infection while performing their duties to treat COVID-19 patients.

While in Jakarta, its Governor Anies Baswedan confirmed that 25 medical workers had tested positive for coronavirus, while one of them had died.

IDI pointed to the lack of self-protection equipment while treating COVID-19 patients as one factor that made medical workers prone to contracting the coronavirus infection.

As of Sunday (March 22), the number of COVID-19 patients in Indonesia had increased to 514, of which 48 had died, 29 recovered, while 437 others are still receiving medical treatment.

In Jakarta, the number of cases testing positive for the virus has reached 307, with 59 in West Java; 47 in Banten; 41 in East Java; 15 in Central Java; nine in East Kalimantan; five in Yogyakarta; four in Riau Islands; three each in Bali and Southeast Sulawesi; two each in North Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, and Papua; and one each in Riau, Lampung, South Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, and Maluku.

Achmad Yurianto, the government's spokesman for COVID-19 handling, stated that the first batch of 150 thousand rapid testing kits imported from China had arrived in Indonesia and will be distributed across the country. The government is procuring at least one million Covid-19 testing kits.