British woman dies in Bali from coronavirus
JAKARTA: A British woman has died in Bali from the coronavirus, the authorities said yesterday, marking Indonesia's first confirmed death from the rapidly spreading illness.
The 53-year-old died early yesterday in a hospital, but it was unclear if she contracted the virus before or after arriving in Bali late last month, local officials said.
She was taken to hospital last week.
Indonesian health authorities said the woman had serious health problems.
"The patient had severe illnesses including diabetes, hypertension, hyperthyroid and lung disease," Mr Achmad Yurianto, a spokesman for the government's virus response team, told reporters in Jakarta.
The British embassy in Jakarta said it was "supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Indonesia, and are in contact with local authorities".
Also yesterday, Indonesia said its number of confirmed cases had reached 34.
The country reported its first coronavirus cases only this month, as scientists questioned the relatively low rate of infections in the world's fourth most populous country.
In a separate development, two immigration officers at Bangkok's main airport have been infected and may have handled the passports of visitors to Thailand, a health official said yesterday.
SOUTH KOREA
The men, both working at Suvarnabhumi airport, fell ill over the weekend and potentially came into contact with arriving passengers in the days before their diagnosis.
One of the officers was among a team leading health screenings of Thai returnees from South Korea - which has reported the second most Covid-19 infections in Asia after China.
"They were not working at the same spot," Disease Control Department spokesman Sopon Iamsirithaworn said.
"There is a chance they came into contact with foreigners or touched passports," he added.
Thailand's Interior Minister said yesterday it will suspend visa-free arrivals from South Korea, Hong Kong and Italy, as well as visa-on-arrival from 18 countries, including China and India.
All affected visitors must apply for visas at Thai embassies in their own countries and present a medical certificate. - AFP
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