As many as 20 residents of West Java were exposed to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 after returning from overseas trips, Governor M. Ridwan Kamil stated.

“Today, West Java’s 20 residents, who have just arrived from abroad, are undergoing quarantine after being exposed to the Omicron variant,” the governor noted on Monday.

The 20 residents are being quarantined in Jakarta, Kamil remarked.

According to the governor, transmission of the Omicron variant stopped at the quarantine level, so it has not spread to the community in West Java.

No case or local transmission of the Omicron variant had been detected in West Java, he confirmed.

“Transmission of the variant has stopped at the state borders or at airports. However, the residents (exposed to Omicron) hold the West Java KTP (population identification card). I repeat that no Omicron case has been detected in West Java until today. The number of West Java residents quarantined in Jakarta reaches 20,” he remarked.

“All residents exposed to Omicron have just arrived from overseas trips. This is different from East Java where the Omicron variant had entered Surabaya via Bali,” he noted.

Although no local transmission of the Omicron variant was found in West Java, Kamil affirmed that the local government had always been proactive in taking precautionary measures against the new variant of COVID-19.

“We, along with the committee team, have made calculations for 14 days after the Christmas and New Year holidays. In case of bad news, we will see what it looks like,” he noted.

Quoting the result of an epidemiological study conveyed at a meeting with Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Ridwan stated that the Omicron variant is more contagious than other strains of COVID-19, albeit having a low hospitalization rate.

“Thus, many patients recover quickly. No patient is treated at the hospital (for Omicron) as of today,” he stated.
 

Source: Antara News