Indonesian Airline Grounds Plane After Passenger From China Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has grounded one of its plane for inspection and disinfection after a passenger from China was confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus, the company said in a statement on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2020) Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has grounded one of its plane for inspection and disinfection after a passenger from China was confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus, the company said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the Channel news Asia (CNA) broadcaster, which cited the authorities of Chian's Anhui province, the passenger flew on an Indonesian Lion Air flight from Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, to Bali on January 22. After that, the man spent about a week on the Indonesian island before flying on a Garuda Indonesia flight to Shanghai, where he was soon confirmed to have contracted the COVID-19 virus.

"We made this commitment to strengthen the anticipatory efforts to curb the spread of the virus, especially in the line of air transportation services," the CNA quoted Garuda Indonesia's director of operations, Tumpal Hutapea, as saying.

The company has also replaced cabin air filters, which are designed to kill bacteria and viruses.

There are currently no recorded cases of infection in Indonesia. Precautions the country has taken include banning flights to and from China and installing protective equipment at certain airports.

COVID-19 was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late December and has since spread to more than 20 countries. So far, the virus has infected some 60,000 people worldwide and killed over 1,350 people.