Bali coronavirus death the first for Indonesia as Singapore gets tough

Indonesia has recorded its first coronavirus death, with a woman in Bali dying eight days after the country logged its first case.

Women prepare to put on masks near a Mass Rapid Transit station in Jakarta, Indonesia. Picture: AP

Indonesia has recorded its first coronavirus death, with a woman in Bali dying eight days after the country logged its first case.

Indonesian Health Ministry spokesman Achmad Yurianto said the 53-year-old was a British national who had underlying health conditions. Indonesia has 34 confirmed cases of the disease.

Bali government secretary Dewa Madesaid the woman ­arrived on the tourist island with no symptoms on February 29 but was admitted to hospital on March 3 and died at 2am on Wednesday. A Bali government spokesman said the island’s health authorities were not told the woman had tested positive for coronavirus until after her death — a claim Indonesia’s health ministry spokesman Achmad Yurianto disputed, saying the woman’s doctor had been informed.

The death came as Singapore moved to close loopholes allowing foreigners to fly into the city state seeking treatment for the coronavirus, and warned of prosecutions for those who made false declarations, after two men in their 60s were diagnosed soon after ­arriving from Indonesia.

Singapore announced on Monday it would start charging visitors for COVID-19 treatment after the men, 64 and 65, arrived having already sought testing and treatment in Indonesia.

“In view of the rising number of COVID-19 infections globally, and the expected rise in the number of confirmed cases in Singapore, we will need to prioritise the resources at our public hospitals,” the health ministry said.

The country’s Civil Aviation Authority has since imposed strict measures for charter flights, including mandatory health declarations before planes take off for Singapore. One of the Indonesians had flown into Singapore’s private Seletar Airport and was ­diagnosed after being swabbed at the airport gate.

He had first reported COVID-19 symptoms on March 3 in Indonesia. The second man sought treatment in Jakarta on March 2 before flying to Singapore on March 7. He was diagnosed the next day.

Under new regulations, any charter flight into Singapore carrying passengers or crew with fever or respiratory symptoms must operate as a medical evacuation flight with prior approval from a Singapore hospital.

All on board must also test negative for COVID-19, with authorities warning of prosecutions, fines and even possible jail terms for those who make false declarations.

Singapore has emerged as a role model in its handling of the coronavirus outbreak. The government swiftly imposed strict quarantine and contact-tracing protocols, as well as regular and full public health briefings. It has confirmed 166 cases but no deaths.

But the imported cases from Indonesia highlight a potential disaster in the making for Singapore’s health system, should it find itself overloaded by patients from neighbouring countries.

Singapore has long been a popular centre for medical tourism and wealthy Indonesians routinely fly there for even basic treatment.

The Indonesian government has faced widespread criticism over its handling of the corona­virus, including claims by the Health Minister that the Muslim-majority country had remained virus-free thanks to the power of prayer.

Additional reporting: Chandni Vasandani