Jakarta. More than 42,000 Indonesian migrant workers have arrived in Greater Jakarta via Soekarno-Hatta Airport and Tanjung Priok Port as of Wednesday, with 11 percent of them being placed under quarantine for precaution during the coronavirus outbreak.

The total number of returnees grew to 42,720 on Wednesday from 40,872 two days earlier, according to data compiled by the Indonesian Military’s western defense command. 

Of that figure, 4,720 people have been put under quarantine, 715 more from Monday’s data, military spokesman Marine Colonel Aris Mudian said. Hundreds of migrant workers, including many cruise ship crew members, remain to classify as active patients as of Wednesday.

“At least 256 migrant workers have tested positive for Covid-19 and they are now being treated at the makeshift Covid-9 hospital occupying the athletes’ village in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta,” Aris said.

The makeshift hospital overseen by the military has treated 5,745 patients since it started operations in late March. It currently houses 942 patients.

Jakarta has a number of isolation facilities including at least five luxury hotels for self-imposed isolation and city government buildings. It also runs another makeshift hospital on Galang Island that currently has 87 patients.

Mostly from Malaysia

More than 123,000 Indonesian citizens have returned from foreign countries during the Covid-19 global pandemic, a Foreign Affairs Ministry official said on Tuesday.

"The government requires the returning citizens to undergo polymerase chain reaction-based testing to prevent the spread of the disease," Andi Rahmiyanto, the ministry’s director of international cooperation, said in a hearing with the House of Representatives’ foreign affairs commission.

Indonesian citizens who hold stay permit in other countries are advised to remain there until the outbreak here is put under control, he added.

"There are 123,319 Indonesian citizens who have returned from at least 53 countries so far. Of that figure, 88,710 have arrived from Malaysia," Andi said.

The ministry has set up a task force to facilitate the repatriation of citizens, especially those in emergency situation such as migrant workers whose contracts were terminated, he said.

More than 1,100 Indonesian citizens have contracted Covid-19 abroad, with at least 77 deaths and around 300 active cases, according to the ministry data.