Two Korean Men in Their 50s Die Consecutively from COVID-19 in Indonesia

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] Two Korean men in their 50s infected with COVID-19 in Indonesia have died consecutively. They had each booked an air ambulance and a charter flight to return to Korea.

According to the Korean community in Indonesia on the 10th, on the night of the 8th, a Korean man, Mr. A, infected with COVID-19 in Surabaya, East Java, died while undergoing self-quarantine treatment after being unable to be admitted due to a shortage of hospital beds. Mr. A, an office worker, had booked an air ambulance to return to Korea on the 9th.

In the afternoon of the 9th, another Korean man, Mr. B, who was receiving treatment at a hospital in Tangerang, on the outskirts of Jakarta, passed away. Mr. B, known as an executive at a sewing factory in Sukabumi, was scheduled to board the second charter flight for Korean residents departing on the 11th, but his condition rapidly deteriorated.

The Korean Association in Indonesia operated the first charter flight on the 2nd to transport 20 COVID-infected Korean residents to Korea, and plans to send about 10 more on the second charter flight on the 11th. Unlike air ambulances, which carry one or two patients, charter flights cannot accommodate severe patients.

Both air ambulances and charter flights are self-funded, and can only be operated once hospital beds are secured in Korea.

As the number of deaths continues to rise in the Korean community in Indonesia, it is recommended that Koreans with underlying conditions or elderly individuals whose symptoms may worsen due to COVID-19, and who cannot be admitted to local hospitals, promptly return to Korea via air ambulance or charter flight.

From the 4th of this month, even Korean nationals entering Korea from Indonesia must obtain a negative PCR test certificate from hospitals or testing centers designated by the embassy to be allowed entry.

In Indonesia, since June, deaths have surged to around 1,000 per day due to the spread of the Delta variant, and Korean deaths are also occurring consecutively.

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