Residents on the island of Natuna are concerned that the authorities are not fully equipped to insulate citizens evacuated from Wuhan, according to Channel NewsAsia .
“It’s not that we don’t want to receive others, we are just afraid of viruses. Natuna Island is very small. If it (the new strain of corona virus) spreads, it will all be over, ”Ranai resident, Natuna’s capital, Kiki Firdaus, told Channel NewsAsia on 3 February.
Mr. Firdaus expressed frustration when the authorities did not inform people in advance that their island was designated as a quarantine site. “Suddenly, they unloaded the logistics at Natuna. Of course, at that time we felt betrayed. "
People protest
Mr. Firdaus and hundreds of Natuna Islanders have been protesting in front of the local parliament building, naval base and airport since February 1.
A total of more than 280 people, including the crew and flight attendants, are being quarantined in Natuna after returning from ’s Hubei province .
The men landed in the capital, Ranai, a city of about 20,000, on Feb. 2 under a government plan to isolate them 14 days before returning home. The move sparked opposition from the locals.
Midwife Mdm Zakiah, a protester, said there were very limited medical facilities in Natuna. “I know the medical equipment is limited. Natuna has only a local military hospital and hospital where I work, ”she said.
Zakiah said the only protective equipment available to medical personnel is a surgical mask. "We do not have protective clothing ... We are afraid that if the infected people are transferred to our hospital, what should we do?"
Midwives also pointed out that Ranai city often suffered blackouts. That makes this place not an ideal place for quarantine and medical treatment.
Confusion in the quarantine area
The people of Natuna were confused about the location of the quarantine area.
Commander Hadi Tjahjanto earlier said that the evacuated people would be isolated in areas 5-6 km away from residential areas. But on the morning of February 3, they took the quarantine near the airport, less than 2 km away from the residential area, Ms. Zakiah said.
“If the quarantine was a little further away, I might have been calmer. I have a 5-year-old daughter, ”she said.
Financial adviser, Mr. Erwin, sympathized with the worries of the midwife. He also lives near the airport like Ms. Zakiah.
"We are not trying to reject them ... I want a guarantee from the central government that nothing will happen to Natuna."
Hundreds of protesters in front of the naval base in Ranai on Monday protested the isolation of people from Hubei on Natuna Island. Photo: Kiki Firdaus .
“People on social media say that the people of Natuna don’t want to work with the government. That’s not right. We just want clarity to feel safe and secure, ”the 30-year-old said.
On February 2, local authorities announced that elementary and junior high schools will be closed until February 17.
National assembly member Natuna, Wan Arismunandar, said the decision to close schools was in response to the wishes of the people. "If we don’t fulfill people’s wishes, they won’t send their children to school anymore."
But the same day later, local authorities announced they could retract the decision according to the Interior Ministry’s recommendation. This makes the parents bewildered.
Presidential meeting
Congressman Arismunandar added that the protests had erupted in the past few days because people were not well informed about the latest situation, such as the progression of the corona virus disease.
"We must be the intermediary between the central government and the people," he said. "We have to understand people’s concerns and transfer them to the provincial government, then urge the provincial government to send it to the central government to address the people’s concerns."
Mr. Arismunandar said the leader of Natuna and several other officials would come to Jakarta to meet with the president about the issue.
Evacuees were sprayed before moving to a military base on the island of Natuna for isolation. Photo: Reuters .
Speaking in Bogor, West Java, February 2, President Joko Widodo thanked the people of Natuna and stated the reason for using the island as a place of isolation.
“Not all islands can be used for isolation. We have pre-estimated the availability of medical teams. Therefore, the decision was to isolate the evacuees in Natuna, ”Mr. Widodo said.
In a meeting with parliament the same day, Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto pledged to work with the Natuna government to make sure everything went smoothly.
To date, there have been no cases of corona virus infection in Indonesia.
