DILI, 14 April 2020 (TATOLI) – The number of patients who tested positive for Covid-19 at one Dili quarantine site has increased to five – bringing the country’s total to six, the Covid Crisis Group (CIGC) announced today.
Authorities confirmed two students who arrived in Dili from Kupang, Indonesia on April 1 have tested positive. They were among a group of students aboard a government-chartered bus from the Indonesian border, CIGC spokesman Rui Maria de Araújo confirmed.
“The five patients that are isolated came on the same bus on April 1 from Mota Ain [border post] and quarantined at the same place, Hotel Katua’s,” Dr Araujo told reporters Tuesday afternoon.
The two have been transferred to isolation units at Dili’s Vera Cruz Health Clinic, where the other three patients are already receiving treatment.
Related news: Two More Patients Test Positive for Covid-19
Mass transit has been suspended since the beginning of the State of Emergency last month. Dr Araujo said the bus carrying the patients was a special charter hired by the Ministry of Health to bring the group to quarantine, he said.
“The Health Team are now taking samples from the driver and two conductors,” Dr Araujo said.
The CIGC spokesman – a former prime minister, and minister of health – said that, because all five students contracted the virus in a cluster, and the group was quarantined upon entering the country, the potential for community transmission is low.
Related news: Police Fire Teargas at Crowd Attempting to Block Coronavirus Quarantine Site
Timor’s first confirmed patient, a foreign national, has now recovered from the virus
Portuguese teacher tests positive
Rui Araújo also confirmed a Portuguese teacher who left Timor-Leste for Europe last week has also tested positive for the virus.
Dr Araújo said Timor-Leste is cooperating with Portugal to trace who the teacher may have been in contact with.
“The group of teachers departed from Dili to Portugal on April 4. There was one teacher who took the [Covid-19] test on April 6 in Portugal and the results showed the teacher was positive,” Dr Araújo confirmed.
However, he said the teacher would receive the support of Portugal’s medical system.
In the four months since a cluster of pneumonia-like cases was first identified in China, almost two million people have contacted Covid-19, in almost every country in the world.
Around 119,000 have died from the virus, while around a quarter – 454,044 – have recovered.
Journalist: Nelia Borges
Editor: Robert Baird
