(Bloomberg) — Indonesia has confirmed its first case of omicron variant of the coronavirus and detected five other probable cases in the capital Jakarta and the eastern city of Manado.
A cleaning worker at Wisma Atlet in Jakarta was found to have the omicron variant when tested on Dec. 15, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said in a Thursday briefing. Whole genome sequencing is being carried out on two other cases found in the same facility that’s dedicated for coronavirus handling, with the result expected in three days.
There’s no sign yet of a community transmission, Sadikin added.
“We urge everyone to remain calm and not panic with the detection of the first omicron case,” he said. “We also call on people to refrain from overseas travel unless necessary.”
Indonesia has lengthened its required quarantine period for foreign arrivals to 10 days, from as short as three days, to curb the spread of the omicron variant. The government remains wary of a potential virus resurgence following increased travel during the year-end period, even as it pared back planned restrictions due to improved testing and vaccination.
The confirmed omicron case has no history of overseas travel and shows no symptoms, the health minister said. The probable cases include two Indonesian citizens returning from the U.S. and the U.K. who are now quarantining in Jakarta and three Chinese citizens entering through Manado.
The government has stepped up its whole genome sequencing activity to 10% of confirmed cases, from 5% previously. It will also use more polymerase chain reaction tests with S-gene target failure to be able to detect the omicron variant faster, Sadikin said.
(Updates with more detail throughout.)
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