JAKARTA: Fifteen local people in Batam have been put under quarantine after coming in close contact with three visitors from Singapore who were diagnosed with COVID-19.

This came after Singapore’s Health Ministry announced on Sunday (Mar 1) that the three – two Singaporean residents and a Myanmar national – tested positive for the virus following their visit to Batam from Feb 21 to Feb 23.



Head of Riau Islands Health Agency Tjeptjep Yudiana was quoted as saying by Jakarta Post that the local authorities had identified the locals on Sunday, after being notified by their Singapore counterparts.

“They will be observed for a week,” he said on Monday.

The three visitors from Singapore have been identified as Case 101, Case 103 and Case 104.



Case 101 is a 61-year-old Singaporean man linked to a previous case, Case 93, as well as Case 103. He tested positive on Feb 29.

Case 103, a 37-year-old Singaporean woman, is a family member of Case 93. When in Batam, she visited a property that she owned, Mr Yudiana said.

Case 104 is a 25-year-old Myanmar national and a maid employed by Case 103.

Case 103 and Case 104 were put under home quarantine on Feb 26, three days after they returned from Batam, after they were identified as a close contact of Case 93.

They tested positive on Sunday.

Mr Yudiana said they traced back the steps of the trio, including the places they visited and the people they had contact with.

“They met with around 100 people. But for now, we’ve only put 11 of them under observation at the Haj Dormitory and four others in their homes,” he said, according to the Jakarta Post report.

He added that the 15 people appeared well and their samples have been sent for testing at the Health Ministry’s laboratory in Jakarta.

“Even if they test negative, they will still be observed for a week,” he said.

The 15 people included a 33-year-old man, his wife and two children. He was Case 103’s driver.

The rest were a 39-year-old woman, who was Case 103’s domestic helper, and 10 of her relatives and close acquaintances

Mr Yudiana said the agency was working with the local police to track down those on the ferry that carried the three visitors to Batam.

The passenger list included 26 Indonesians and 82 foreigners.

On Monday, Indonesia reported its first two COVID-19 cases, a 31-year-old dance instructor and her 64-year-old mother. They were in contact with a Japanese citizen who visited Jakarta and later tested positive in Malaysia.