Indonesia reports first coronavirus death, confirmed cases now 27

Indonesia today confirmed its first death from the coronavirus -- a 53-year-old British woman in Bali with several underlying health conditions including hypertension and diabetes.

The death came just slightly over a week after the country announced its first positive case, which as of this morning stands at 27.

"(The patient) had underlying conditions of high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism and long years of obstructive lung disease. She was 53 and a foreigner. The embassy has been informed," Achmad Yurianto, a spokesman for the Covid-19 task force, told a press conference.

He declined to disclose the nationality of the woman but said she died at around 2:00am.

"Coronavirus had reduced her immune system, and in turn worsened her pre-existing medical conditions," Achmad added.

Indonesia yesterday confirmed eight new cases of coronavirus infection, adding to the 13 cases announced the previous day.

With the number of cases rising, Indonesia is stepping up its capacity for testing people for Covid-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.

An additional 10,000 rapid PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tester kits had arrived in Jakarta on yesterday. It is to supplement the more accurate swab tests, which takes longer to confirm results.

Achmad said the government has tested up to 736 people as of Wednesday morning.

"We are continuing to do close contact tracing on all the 27 confirmed cases," Achmad stressed.

Case 6 and Case 14 have tested negative for the second time, making them eligible for discharge from hospital.

"We are now educating them before they go home so they can properly conduct self-isolation," Achmad said.

"Although they have tested negative... they have to avoid close contact with family members, not share utensils and reduce outside-home activitiesincluding meeting other people."

Achmad declined to disclose the general locations, or areas within a city where a confirmed case resides.

He said such information is not relevant as infected persons are unlikely to remain at home during the incubation period.

Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation, had from Sunday stepped up its fight to contain the spread of the virus by banning the entry and transit of foreign visitors coming from 10 places worst-stricken by the coronavirus including Iran, Italy and South Korea.

Copryright: The Straits Times/Asia News Network (ANN)