More than 900 Indonesians, including 47 nurses, test positive for COVID-19 abroad

The Foreign Ministry revealed on Wednesday that 47 Indonesian nurses working overseas have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of Indonesians infected abroad to 928.

The 47 nurses work in Kuwait, where some 59 Indonesians including the nurses have tested positive for COVID-19, six of whom are still hospitalized. Forty-five are undergoing self-quarantine, while six have recovered and two have died.

“We hope the nurses who are working on the frontlines and have been infected will get well soon,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said in a press briefing on Wednesday.

According to the ministry, of the 928 total cases among Indonesians overseas – recorded across 36 foreign territories and 21 international cruise ships – 414 are active cases, while 465 have recovered and 49 have died.

The government has pledged to ensure the protection of Indonesians abroad amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including by providing aid and facilitating their repatriation to their hometowns if necessary.

In Malaysia, for instance, Faizasyah said that at least 375,341 aid packages had been distributed to Indonesians citizens affected by the country’s lockdown.

In addition, the government has facilitated the repatriation of more than 181,000 Indonesian crew members from various cruise liners that have suspended operations due to the pandemic.

If you want to help in the fight against COVID-19, we have compiled an up-to-date list of community initiatives designed to aid medical workers and low-income people in this article. Link: [UPDATED] Anti-COVID-19 initiatives: Helping Indonesia fight the outbreak