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A Singaporean man with "coronavirus-like symptoms" passed away in Batam on Feb. 22.
This was reported by The Jakarta Post (JP) on Feb. 26.
The man, who was identified by the initials AA, was a 61-year-old man who lived in Batam with his Indonesian wife and two daughters, reported JP.
AA's neighbour told JP that he had just returned to Singapore to get a stamp in his passport.
Checked into emergency unit of private hospital
AA arrived at the emergency unit of Awal Bros Hospital, a private hospital in Batam on Feb. 20.
This was confirmed by a hospital spokesperson who told JP that the man had a fever and shortness of breath.
The spokesperson told JP:
“He had just returned from Singapore, and he had a fever. We thought that he might have the coronavirus infection, although we did not know for sure. To mitigate the risks, we sent him to BP Batam Hospital, which is the referral hospital for coronavirus.”
According to the spokesperson, this is standard operating procedure.
The Batam Health Agency's head, Didi Kusumajadi told JP that the man was not sent to BP Batam Hospital because he was suspected of having Covid-19:
“He was referred [to BP Batam Hospital] because of what we call risk management. This is a term that hospital staff already understand well. It means a patient is referred to another hospital that is more competent in that area.”
Sample tested negative for Covid-19
The Batam Health Agency took a sample from AA and sent it to a Health Ministry laboratory in Jakarta for testing on Feb. 21.
Unfortunately, AA passed away the next day.
The test result came back negative. The Batam Health Agency said that AA died of "another illness".
AA's body has not been released, in accordance with Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) procedures in Singapore concerning the coronavirus, said Didi.
We have reached out to the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore for confirmation.
H/T: The Jakarta Post. Top image via TripAdvisor.