Questions Behind Covid-19 Cases in Isolated City

KOMPAS/ FRANSISKUS PATI HERIN

Fisherman Village in Dullah Utara Subdistrict, Tual City, Maluku Province, Friday (12/6/2015).

After two months under "isolation", on Thursday (25/6/2020), the Covid-19 Task Force in Tual municipality, Maluku, announced the findings of two confirmed cases in the area.

On 15 April 2020, the administration of Tual municipality, Maluku, closed access to the port, then suspended flights on 24 April. Two months later, on Thursday (25/6/2020), the municipality’s Covid-19 Task Force announced the findings of two confirmed cases in the area. This discovery had surprised people and raised questions.

The two people who tested positive have been identified as EM, 52, and SLJ, 43. The two men initially wanted to travel to Ambon using a special aircraft owned by the Indonesian Air Force. Before leaving, they were asked to provide the required travel documents, one of which was Covid-19 rapid test results. The tests were carried out and the results were reactive so they are told to quarantine.

The test results showed both people tested positive for Covid-19. The results surprised many people.

The Tual Covid-19 Task Force moved quickly to perform swab tests on both people and then sent the samples using the Indonesian Air Force plane to Ambon to be examined at Ambon\'s Center for Environmental Health Engineering and Disease Control. The test results showed both people tested positive for Covid-19. The results surprised many people.

“We did question [the test results], how come [they tested] positive?”

Many people were shocked because the area had been under isolation for more than two months. The isolation was carried out shortly after the first Covid-19 case in Maluku was announced on 22 March 2020.

“We did question [the test results], how come [they were tested] positive?” said Moksen Ohoiyuf, the spokesperson for Tual Covid-19 Task Force to Kompas by phone. Moksen realized the public was skeptical over the results of the swab test which shows both people positive for Covid-19.

Tual municipality had been an area in Maluku classified as a green zone. There had been no Covid-19 case there. Besides Tual municipality, there is Southeast Maluku regency, which borders Tual municipality and is directly connected by a bridge; Aru Islands and the Tanimbar Islands. These areas are considered to have been successful in preventing the spread of Covid-19 by "closing access".

While still in doubt, Moksen suspected that the virus could have entered the are through the sea brought by fishermen or residents who came on fishing boats. "They [travelers] use longboats [motorboats]," he said, stressing that this was still a possibility.

KOMPAS/FRANS PATI HERIN

A trader follows the Covid-19 rapid test at the Mardika Market Complex, Ambon City, Maluku, on Saturday (9/5/2020).

Supposedly, the virus was brought from Ambon using a fishing boat, it would take more than two days to travel. It seems there were rarely fishing vessels that were willing to carry passengers. Using a motorboat was also almost impossible. Because, since the end of April until now, high waves have hit almost all territorial waters in Maluku, including the Banda Sea which is located between Ambon and Tual.

Doctors on the task force, Moksen added, explained that the virus was probably carried by people without symptoms (OTG) before Tual was isolated. If the virus has been around for a long time, it means that most likely many people have been infected by people without symptoms. However, how no one there shown symptoms of Covid-19?

Consequently, the potential for transmission is very high.

In fact, the virus can spread rapidly. Moreover, in the city of about 70,000 people there are many densely populated settlements. Not everyone runs the health protocol as perfectly as in other regions. Consequently, the potential for transmission is very high.

If the two men had no plan to travel, perhaps Tual municipality would still be in the green zone. "At the moment the two of them are healthy," Moksen said.

Melky Lohi, spokesman for the Maluku Province Covid-19 Task Force, who was contacted separately, said the findings were a topic among the task force. "It\'s still being investigated more deeply," he said.

Melky realized that the public’s question regarding the finding of Covid-19 cases must be answered rationally by the task force. The reason is that the case in Tual municipality can be juxtaposed with pieces of facts relating to the handling of Covid-19 in Maluku which the public considers unreasonable.

For example, there is a case of a patient in Ambon who tested positive today, the next day the patient had recovered. In addition, there was also a matter of obscurity in the age of a baby who tested positive for Covid-19 some time ago. At first, the newborn was said to be seven-days old, then it was reported to one-day old. "The most important thing right now is public trust," Melky said.

Until Thursday night, there had been no news about the number of people who had contacts with both patients.

Starting on Thursday afternoon, the Tual Covid-19 Task Force had traced a number of people who had contacts with the two patients. Those who were in close contact with both people will undergo a rapid test. Until Thursday night, there had been no news about the number of people who had contacts with both patients.

The Tual municipality administration has again urged the public to keep their distance, wash their hands and wear face masks. The case findings made residents of Tual municipality and Southeast Maluku regency panic.

KOMPAS/FRANSISKUS PATI HERIN

All transport passengers undergo temperature checks. Ambon City. Ambon City, Maluku, officially imposed Restrictions on Community Activities on Monday (8/6/2020). Restrictions to prevent Covid-19 transmission.

The Tual municipality has now added to the list of regencies/cities in Maluku which have Covid-19 cases. Other areas are Ambon City, Central Maluku regency, West Seram, East Seram, Buru and Southwest Maluku. As of Thursday night, the total number of Covid-19 cases in Maluku was 684, of which 190 recovered and 14 died.

The case of Tual municipality shows that even an isolated green zone is not necessarily safe from coronavirus. Don\'t ignore health protocol. On the map of the spread of Covid-19, Tual municipality has turned red. The public also continues to await further explanation while hoping the case will not spread.