The Ministry of Health (MOH) has stated that it has "promptly shared information" with Indonesian officials on Indonesian nationals in Singapore with Covid-19.

This was in response to a Mothership query regarding an Indonesian official complaining that Singapore is withholding information over their nationals being treated here for the coronavirus (Covid-19), reported The Jakarta Post.

Indonesian official: Singapore is withholding information

Speaking on Mar. 12, the secretary of the Health Ministry’s Disease Control and Prevention Directorate General, Achmad Yurianto, stated:

"We have asked for the identities of the Indonesian nationals from Singapore. They did not give us the names. How are we going to conduct the tracing in Indonesia? Singapore is adamant on not disclosing their identities."

In response, the Singapore Embassy in Jakarta stated that the Ministry of Health (MOH) has a "patient confidentiality and privacy policy,", The Jakarta Post further reported.

The embassy also stated that there were no restrictions on Covid-19 patients from contacting their respective embassies and that it was their choice as to whether to do so.

"The Singapore government’s first priority is the well-being of the patients.”

MOH: We have shared information

On March 13, in response to a query from Mothership, an MOH spokesperson said:

"Singapore and Indonesia are State Parties to the World Health Organization International Health Regulations (IHR).

Singapore has promptly shared information with Indonesia through the official IHR channel on all the confirmed COVID-19 cases involving Indonesians, to facilitate contact tracing in Indonesia.

The Indonesian IHR National Focal Point (NFP), who is an official from the Indonesian Health Ministry (KEMENKES), has acknowledged receipt of the all correspondences on these cases sent by Singapore’s IHR NFP."

How many Indonesians have tested positive for the virus?

Thus far, five Indonesians have tested positive for the virus in Singapore.

They are Cases 147, 152, 170, 181, 182.

Three of the cases -- 147, 152 and 170 -- already had symptoms prior to travelling to Singapore.

All three presented themselves to Singapore hospitals on the day of their arrival.

Cases 147 and 152 arrived on Mar. 7, and were confirmed to be infected with Covid-19 on Mar. 8 while Case 170 arrived on Mar. 9, and was confirmed to be infected on Mar. 10.

Meanwhile, Cases 181 and 182, who are both family members, also arrived on Mar. 9. Both cases were confirmed to be infected with Covid-19 on Mar. 12.

Case 181 reported an onset of symptoms while still in Indonesia on Mar. 8, while Case 182 reported the onset of symptoms after arriving in Singapore on Mar. 9.

Official: Confirmed cases did not contract Covid-19 in Indonesia

Jakarta Post noted that "critics" have pointed to these imported cases as a sign that the Indonesian government is failing to detect cases there.

It added that this raises concerns that the number of confirmed cases could be higher than the reported tally.

It quoted an Indonesian Twitter-based community focused on tracking the virus, @KawalCOVID19, who pointed out that it was "shameful" that an Indonesian national was only tested and diagnosed in Singapore.

However, Achmad Yurianto said that he believed that the confirmed cases did not contract Covid-19 in Indonesia.

He said: "It is possible that when they sought medication here they were still negative."

Top photo by Photo by Hugh Llewelyn via Flickr