Indonesia Announces '0' New COVID-19 Cases... Experts Say "Unbelievable"

Only 19 Suspected Cases, Compared to 13 Confirmed in Neighboring Singapore and 8 in Malaysia
Doubts Over Tracking of 7 Million Residents' Movements in China, Skepticism Toward 'Pro-China' Government Announcements
Singapore Issues Mandatory Leave and School Closure Orders... Up to 8.74 Million KRW Fine for Violations

[Asia Economy Jakarta Correspondent Sujin Choi, Singapore Correspondent Jumi Seo] Southeast Asia has also been put on high alert due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia). In Indonesia, despite the government's announcement of zero confirmed cases, there is strong disbelief, and in Singapore, authorities have decided to impose fines of up to 10,000 Singapore dollars (approximately 8.74 million KRW) for violations of quarantine orders.

According to Indonesian media on the 3rd, no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus have been found in Indonesia so far. The Indonesian Ministry of Health stated that there are currently zero confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China. However, there are 19 suspected cases undergoing isolation treatment. Earlier, on the 2nd, the Indonesian government repatriated 238 of its citizens from Hubei Province, China, by air.

Experts express skepticism about the Indonesian government's announcement. Currently, 7 million Chinese nationals live in Indonesia, but it is unclear whether travelers who went back and forth to China around the Lunar New Year were accurately tracked and whether an appropriate diagnostic system was in place. Consequently, some criticize that the golden time to contain the virus was missed after the outbreak, resulting in the reported zero confirmed cases. This contrasts with neighboring countries, where Singapore has 13 confirmed cases and Malaysia has 8.

Particularly, the Indonesian government's pro-China stance further undermines trust in its announcements. Agus Supamanto, Minister of Trade, said that the novel coronavirus would not significantly impact trade between Indonesia and China, and business exchanges would continue without special restrictions. Minister Agus added that import restrictions on China could be fatal to domestic importers, so sanctions against Indonesia's largest import partner are unnecessary. Last year, Indonesia imported $44.5 billion worth of goods from China, accounting for 30% of total imports excluding Indonesian oil and gas. Moreover, the proportion of Chinese tourists in Indonesia's economy is not negligible. Last year, the total number of tourists visiting Indonesia increased by 3.55% year-on-year to 14.92 million, of which 1.9 million were Chinese tourists, accounting for 13% of total visitors. Tourism revenue accounted for 4% of Indonesia's Gross National Product (GNP) last year.

However, the Indonesian government has indefinitely postponed the 'Kintamani Festival' scheduled for the 8th in Bali. The Kintamani Festival is Bali's representative festival commemorating the legendary love between the Balinese king Jayapangus and the Chinese princess Kang Qingyu, attracting 1.2 million Chinese tourists annually. Instead, with Chinese tourism restricted, the government plans to shift its focus to attracting tourists from Europe and Australia.

Excluding China, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus, Singapore has the third-highest number of confirmed cases after Japan (20) and Thailand (19). Singapore has issued consecutive holiday and school closure orders. Before Wuhan city was locked down, 10,000 Chinese entered Singapore, and by mid-last month, about 800 Singaporean primary and secondary students had returned from China.

The Singapore government has mandated up to 14 days of leave and advised students not to attend school. Those who do not comply with quarantine authorities' recommendations face fines of up to 10,000 Singapore dollars and imprisonment for up to six months. Singapore is particularly sensitive to such matters due to its experience during the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, which infected 238 people and caused 33 deaths.

Currently, no secondary infections have been detected, but tension remains high as the situation could change when Chinese nationals holding work visas, returning after the Lunar New Year holidays, enter the country. Approximately 30,000 Chinese workers have not yet returned to Singapore.

Earlier, Singapore health authorities expanded fever screening from all passengers arriving on flights from China to all flights landing in Singapore. Along with refusing entry to Chinese nationals holding passports issued in Hubei Province, Singapore has completely suspended entry for Chinese passport holders except for Singapore permanent residents or long-term visa holders.

The Singapore government plans to implement property tax rebates and reduce levies on employing unskilled foreign workers to mitigate the negative impact on consumer sentiment and business activities caused by the spread of the novel virus. Additionally, to counter fake news exploiting the novel coronavirus situation, the government intends to apply the Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act. This is in response to the spread of unrelated videos and information about the novel coronavirus on social networking services (SNS) and the internet. Furthermore, products such as masks and hand sanitizers, essential for protection against the novel coronavirus, are already in short supply, and authorities are cracking down on profiteers exploiting public anxiety, leading to various degrees of confusion.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.